


Air and Earth

by heythereophelia



Series: Air and Earth [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Canon Compliant, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 53,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heythereophelia/pseuds/heythereophelia
Summary: (Updated Daily)Keiko Beifong is the eldest daughter of Tenzin and the only child of Lin Beifong.A master Airbender, she lives with her father on Air Temple Island where she assists him in teaching Avatar Korra Airbending.Shortly after Korra’s arrival, Keiko follows her to the Pro-Bending Arena, where she meets an Earthbender named Bolin.The more time they spend together, the more they find themselves falling in love.Bolin accepts his feelings for her but Keiko denies her feelings for him.Bolin wants to make it work but Keiko is hesitant.Bolin loves her but Keiko doesn’t want to end up like her parents.
Relationships: Bolin (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Korra/Asami Sato, Korra/Mako (Avatar), Mako/Asami Sato
Series: Air and Earth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822555
Comments: 28
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever story so please be nice. 
> 
> I also might’ve rewatched season one five times while writing the first few chapters.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? It looks like we're there. I know it, this is very familiar! Are we here yet? Are we here yet? Ooh, please tell me we're here!" Ikki rambles.

Below them, Korra runs up to where Katara stands, beyond excited to begin her Airbending training.

Keiko was asleep, she had been since they passed the Southern Air Temple.

Pema was amazed she hadn't woken to Ikki speaking very quickly and very loudly. The woman forgets sometimes that Keiko was a bit of a heavy sleeper and could practically sleep through anything.

Jinora had been putting braids into her hair, decorating them with flowers she picked up during their last stop. Keiko kept her hair differently than the female Air Nomads of the past, she didn't keep her forehead shaved, she tried it once but didn't like how it looked so she let it grow out and just styles it in a way so the arrow could be seen.

  
Tenzin sighs in relief and annoyance, he lands Oogie and answers all of Ikki's annoying questions with, "yes, Ikki, we are finally here."

Meelo pulls on his ears and he groans, absolutely exhausted and would like a minute away from his children, if that was even possible.

Jinora stops playing with Keiko's hair and jumps excitedly off their bison, riding an air scooter down his tail.

Tenzin slides off Oogie with Meelo still on his shoulders, still tugging at his ears.

He approaches his mother and his youngest girls zip to his side.

"Hello, mother," Tenzin greets, "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you."

Meelo gives a rather hard tug and he looks at his mother pleadingly and says, "please, help me."

Katara laughs warmly and Tenzin bends down so the old woman could remove the lively five-year-old from his father's shoulders.

Pema gently shakes Keiko and the girl wakes, sitting up and looking around blearily.

She rubs her eyes and takes in her surroundings, nothing but snow, ice and mountains for miles.

She looks down at her family, Meelo is waving his arms frantically yelling, "unhand me, strange woman!"

"That's you're grandmother, Meelo," Tenzin says, straight to the point.

Meelo nimbly pushes himself out of Katara's grip, who looks surprised and somersaults above her head, landing on the ground behind her. He quickly dashes out from behind her, while Katara's expression changes from utter surprise to a loving smile.

"It's wonderful to see all of you," she says, looking around, "were is Keiko?"

"Still sleeping on Oogie," Tenzin informs but there's a voice behind him.

"No, I'm awake," Keiko stands up and jumps down from the bison, landing silently in the snow.

The girl adjusts her clothes, rumpled from her nap. Her style is similar to her father's but was more feminine and fitted to her lithe figure.

She was a year younger than Korra, with the same dark hair, grey eyes and light complexion as her father and grandfather but she had the features of her mother.

"Hello, Gran-Gran," she hugs the woman tightly.

When they pull apart Katara asks, "how's you're mother?"

The smile fades from Keiko's face and she hesitates, "Lin is fine," was all she said.

Keiko didn't have the greatest relationship with her mother, they hardly saw each other.

She has vivid memories of her mother sending her away to Air Temple Island when she was Meelo's age, after discovering she was an Airbender.

Her parents ended things shortly after, it wasn’t a pretty end either, so much destruction.

And Keiko was there for it all, she witnessed the whole thing.

Ikki nudges Keiko out of the way and she stumbles a little. 

The girl jumps around excitedly, clapping her hands and starts running off questions; "Gran-Gran, you look old. How old are you? And why is it so cold in the South Pole? Can we make a campfire, and all huddle around it, and tell scary stories, and make snowmen? And then can you make the snowmen move with Waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be fuuun? Huh? Wouldn't it?"

Katara looks unsure of how to respond to Ikki's enthusiasm.

Keiko catches sight of Korra, keeping her distance.

"Korra?"

The Avatar turns her head to her name being called and grows excited.

They haven't seen each other since they were children, a bit before Ikki was born.

Korra runs over and gathers Keiko in her arms, lifting her off the ground, the little Airbender hardly weighed a thing to her.

And Keiko was small, just coming up to the tip of Korra's nose.

"It's good to see you," the Airbender says when Korra sets her down.

"You too," Korra's smile falters and she starts to snort with laughter.

"What?" Keiko asks confused.

Korra picks up one of the many braids in Keiko's hair and runs her thumb over a yellow flower.

"Who did your hair? It's awful."

Keiko swats Korra's hand away, frowning, "Jinora," she says, "must've done it when I was asleep."

Footsteps in the snow catch their attention and Keiko turns, peering up at her father.

"Hello Korra," Tenzin says, placing his hands on her shoulders, "look at you, so big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar."

Korra smiles big and wide, cyan eyes sparkling, "Master Tenzin, I'm so glad you're here. I can't wait to get started!"

Her excitement dwindles when Tenzin sighs, almost disappointedly.

"Yes well..." he trails off, unsure of how to put it gently.

"You're going to have to tell her sooner or later, dad," Keiko says, looking at Korra almost sympathetically.

"Tell me what?"

Katara looks at Tenzin, a bit sad, "you're not staying are you?"

"I'm afraid not. We're only visiting for the night. Then I have to return to Republic City."

Keiko glances at Korra who looks sad and disappointed, "what? No, you're supposed to move here, you're supposed to teach me."

Tenzin looks down and then up at the young Avatar, "I'm sorry, Korra. Your airbending training is going to have to wait."

When night fell, dinner was served.

They gathered in one of the houses in the compound.

Keiko was sitting across from Korra and Meelo currently had her cape over his head, curling up beside her while he ate.

Technically he was supposed to be with the rest of the family but he snuck in and Keiko let him stay, much to the chagrin of the White Lotus leader.

Keiko never learned his name.

"How long until you're able to teach me Airbending? A week? A month?"

Tenzin sighs, "it could be much longer."

"I don't understand. Why are you making me wait?" Korra says, disappointed.

"I have a responsibility to Republic City. I am one of its leaders, and the situation there is very unstable right now." Tenzin explains and Keiko could tell Korra was steadily growing more and more frustrated.

"I wish there were another way," she said sadly, but then she gasps excitedly, "Wait, there is! What if Kiki stays here and teaches me?"

Keiko looks around the table, feeling a little embarrassed, "Korra I'm sorry but..." she starts slowly, "I'm not nearly the master my father is, he needs to be the one to teach you," she explains, letting her friend down gently.

But Korra didn't give up, instead, she came up with another solution, "well if neither of you can stay and teach me then maybe I could come to Republic City with you!"

The White Lotus leader slams his hand on the table, "absolutely not!" He shouts, "The city is far too dangerous. Avatar Aang tasked us with keeping you safe while you mastered the four elements."

Korra looks at him, defiantly, "I get that, but I don't think keeping me locked up in this compound like a prisoner is what he had in mind."

"I know this is difficult to accept, but it's not the right time for you to come to the city," Tenzin explains.

Dismissive, Korra stands up from the table, "whatever," she leaves the room, slamming the door behind her.

Keiko stares at the door, sadly while Meelo reaches over and plucks a dumpling off her plate.   


* * *

When Keiko returned to Republic City, the news that Korra had followed them was the last thing she expected to hear.

Okay, a bit of an exaggeration but she...partially expected her friend to stay put in the South Pole.

So actually it wasn't that surprising.  
  


She stood next to her father the following morning, on the other side of the podium was her mother, neither stole a glance.

The flashing of the cameras made Keiko squint so she looked elsewhere, or tried too.

Korra leans into the microphones, they screech, "hello," she addresses the crowd of journalists. "I'm Korra," she breathes, "your new Avatar."

The journalists started firing off questions.

"Does this mean you've moved to Republic City?"

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the Anti-bending Revolution, or both?"

"Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?"

Korra was confused, she couldn't remember the first question nor did she know exactly how to answer any of the others, instead she settles on, "Uh...yes, I am definitely here to stay, but honestly I - I don't exactly have a plan yet." She sighs and looks apologetic, "See, I'm still in training, but, look, all I know is...Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world, and I believe we can make his dream a reality."

She finds her confidence, "I look forward to serving you, thank you Republic City!"

Elsewhere a man switches the radio off, sneering at it, "Amon, how do you want to handle this?"

Amon, donning a hooded cape, has his hands held behind his back as he stares at a large map of the world hanging from the wall in front of him.

"So, the Avatar has arrived early," Amon turns towards his right-hand, "it looks like we'll have to accelerate our plans."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this story I find myself pronouncing Keiko three different ways in my head.
> 
> One of them is correct, I just can’t remember which one.

Keiko waited for Korra and her father by the same training gates Airbenders have used for centuries, the same one her father used to teach her when she was a girl.

She had sent her siblings to go and play with her pet ring-tailed winged lemur she named Momo II or just Momo.

And they weren't going to so much as play with him, Ikki and Meelo were going to chase the poor creature around the island while Jinora made sure they stayed out of trouble.

She watched her father and Korra climb up the stairs.

When they got closer, the young Avatar looks past her and says, almost amused, "what is that contraption?"

"A time-honoured tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of Airbending." Tenzin explains, "Keiko, would you like to explain this exercise?"

"Sure," she stands beside Korra who was out of her usual Water Tribe getup and into the same clothes her siblings wore.

But she kept her boots.

Keiko smiles at Korra, "the goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them."

"Seems easy enough," Korra says with confidence and Keiko smiles, adding, "while the gates are moving."

She watches the confidence leave her friends face, her father steps up to the gates and thrusts his hands forward, releasing a gust of air, the gates start spinning quickly.

Tenzin grabs a leaf from the ground, "the key is to be like the leaf," he explains, releasing the leaf and guiding it gently through the gates, "flow with the movement of the gates. Keiko will demonstrate."

Keiko unclips her cape and it falls to the ground, she runs up to the gates and weaves her way through like she has a million times before.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Tenzin explains.

Korra watches Keiko rapidly change direction as she goes, spinning when a panel comes near.

She makes it through the other side and takes an Airbending stance, blowing more air through the gates to make them spin faster.

She comes back around and picks her cape from the ground, "ready?" She asks Korra and she looks determined.

"Let's do this!"

She runs for the gates and smacks into the first one she encountered, it doesn't get any better from here.

Being thrown to the side, she slams right into the next one.

Keiko glances up at her father who grimaces in pain, watching Korra colliding with every panel she comes across.

Eventually, she's tossed out on her arse in front of Tenzin and Keiko. She scrambles back on her feet.

Korra tries again, annoyed and determined.

"Don't force your way through!" Keiko calls.

It's the same outcome.

After getting slammed in the face by a panel so hard, she spins around her own axis a few times before falling knocked out on the ground before them.

Tenzin sighs and shakes his head, Keiko checks to make sure Korra's alright.   


* * *

The following morning they're in the Meditation Pavilion. The bison fly overhead and there's a nice breeze. Keiko sits in lotus between her sisters and baby brother.

Korra was on the other side of Meelo and looked so incredibly bored.

The Avatar kept opening her eyes to look at Keiko, completely calm and at peace.

Every time Korra looked at her friend she starts to point out things about her appearance she never had before. She had the same eyes as Tenzin and dark brown hair like her sisters but there was something about her face.

It didn't match Jinora's or Ikki's.

No, Korra felt like she's seen that same face somewhere else, recently, someone in Republic City.

And the more she thinks about it, she realizes she never met Keiko's mother and Keiko rarely talks about her.

Korra shakes the thoughts away and tries giving meditation another try but quickly runs out of patience.

She lowers her head, "I think I'm doing it wrong."

Tenzin cracks an eye open, "there's nothing to do," he says, "let your mind and your spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom."

Korra cracks up at that.

"Is something wrong? Tenzin asks.

"Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island!"

Tenzin sighs and opens both eyes, losing focus, even Keiko opens an eye.

"Please, Korra," Tenzin points to Meelo, "look at Meelo; he's able to meditate peacefully."

Korra peers down at the boy who's clearly snoring and has a snot bubble that increases and decreases in size with every breath, "I think he's asleep."

Tenzin looks surprised and moves to take a closer look at his son, "what?"

He sighs, "well, at least he has the relaxing part down."

Keiko takes a peek at Korra who seems annoyed.

"Whatever. None of this Airbending stuff makes any sense to me." She tosses her arms up and crosses them.

"I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in overtime. Then one day, they'll just click."

Tenzin closes his eyes and they resume.

For about three minutes.

"Yeah, it's not sinking in yet." Korra sighs and stands, "I'm going to get a glass of lychee juice," she announces and walks away.

Tenzin calls after her, sternly, "Korra, the meditation's not over yet!"

Ikki stops meditating and raises her hand, "daddy, can I have a glass of lychee juice too?" She asks.

"No," was Tenzin's immediate response.

Ikki's smile immediately turns to a frown, as Jinora peeks through an eye at her siblings.

Meelo, still asleep, sways forward before falling backward with a groan, where he continues his nap.

Keiko stops for a moment to cover him with her cape, smiling a little.

* * *

It's well after hours when Keiko catches Korra about to do something she shouldn't.

She left her dormitory and carried her glider in her hand. She sneaks up behind her friend and asks, "what do you think you're doing?"

Korra jumps and nearly screams but Keiko gestures for her to be quiet.

"Kiki!" Korra stood straight and tried to look inconspicuous, she wasn't very good at it, "I wasn't...I'm not doing anything!"

Keiko raises an eyebrow, "you and I both know that's not true." She takes a step closer, "you're going to sneak out and catch the Pro-Bending match, aren't you?"

Korra was prepared to lie but her eyes fell on her glider.

"I...wait, what are you doing then?"

"Me? Oh, I was going to fly around a bit, look at the stars...maybe catch a Pro-Bending match myself."

"You..." Korra was in disbelief, "you've snuck out to Pro-Bending matches?"

"No, " Keiko was quick to say, "you know my dad heavily dislikes Pro-Bending, honestly I've never thought about it until you brought it up and well...I'm curious."

Korra looks down at her friend, proud at her sudden surge of rebellion, "let's go then."

Keiko smiles and takes to the sky while Korra chooses the water way.

When Keiko reaches the arena she hides her glider and waits for Korra in an open window.

She spots Korra floating in the water and waves, the young Avatar smiles and uses a water spout to elevate her toward the window; side shot as she throws herself through. She slide-lands against the wall, she jumps up in the same movement, spinning rapidly around and dries the water off her with her bending.

But she soaks Keiko in the process, the Airbender glowers and uses Airbending to dry herself.

"C'mon, let's go."

Keiko follows Korra who becomes distracted by the gym and steps inside.

"Korra!" Keiko whispers, the Avatar doesn't hear her.

With a groan Keiko follows her into the gym, looking around.

It’s a large space, among the equipment are punching bags, dumbbell weights, nets, pommel horses, and earth disks.

"Hey!"

Keiko goes still, the fear of being caught creeps up her spine and she slowly turns.

"What're you doin' in my gym?" The old man asks, Keiko has trouble trying to come up with an excuse, she looks to Korra for help, who is also hesitating.

"Uh...we were just looking for a bathroom and got lost," was what she came up with, the old man didn't buy it.

"Ah, the old "I had to pee" excuse! You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin' in without payin'! I'm taking you to security!"

"Oh no, please don't do that," Keiko squeaks under her breath, the last thing she wants is for her dad to know she's here and especially not her mother, she didn't want to get dragged down to police headquarters and then listen to her parents argue for ten minutes.

But suddenly there's a second voice that calls out, "there you are, I've been looking everywhere for you two!"

Both Keiko and Korra turn towards the voice and find a cute, Earthbender boy in a Pro-Bending uniform, walking towards them.

"It's alright Toza, they're with me," he explains to a rather annoyed old man.

"Yes, we're with him," Korra says, quick to play along, Keiko can only smile innocently and nod.

"Ah," Toza raises his arms, annoyed, "I don't care! I got work to do!"

When he leaves Keiko feels like she can breathe and places a slim hand on the boy's forearm.

"Thank you," she says with earnest.

"You're welcome," he smoothes his hair back, "right this way, ladies," he leads them from the gym.

He led them to a door that opened to a small locker room, not much was in there except a closet and a bench.

Oh, and it had a perfect view of the arena.

"Whaddya think? Best seats in the house, huh?"

"Wow," Keiko breathes.

It was completely packed with people, the playing field was surrounded by water. The ring is a hexagonal platform where the teams compete in matches. It is separated into two equal sides, one red and one blue, with each split into three zones.

"This place is even more amazing than I imagined!" Korra says, awed.

"Name's Bolin, by the way." He says.

"Korra, this is my friend Keiko," the Avatar says without tearing her eyes from the arena.

Keiko waves and Bolin takes in her tattoos, he didn't notice them before.

"Whoa! You're an Airbender!" He gushes, completely astonished.

"I am," Keiko says with a smile, "one of five, soon to be six hopefully."

"This is so cool! I’ve always wanted to meet an Airbender!”

Keiko laughs and the door opens.

The rest of Bolin's team walks in, the Firebender was tall, handsome and the Waterbender had long hair, Keiko couldn't see his face.

The Firebender calls Bolin over and he excuses himself.

"I told you, you have to stop bringing your crazy fangirls in here before the matches. Get them out of here." He says, putting on his Pro-Bending equipment.

Bolin sighs and pouts, "c'mon Mako, I sort of promised they could stay.”

Bolin turns and walks away, he grabs Keiko and Korra by the shoulder, “c’mon, I want you both to meet my brother, Mako,” he says leading them over.

“Mako, this is Korra and Keiko,” he leans in and whispers, “Keiko’s an Airbender.”

“I can see that,” Mako deadpans, putting his helmet on, “c’mon Bolin, we’re up.”

When he walks away Keiko frowns, “not very friendly is he?”

“Yeah, sorry about that, my brother just gets real...focused before a match.” Bolin explains, putting his own helmet on and giving Keiko a pat on the shoulder, “wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” she wishes with a smile, which Bolin returns and he joins his teammates on the platform.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It just dawned on me that Aang never got to meet his grandchildren.
> 
> Oh no.
> 
> Oh no, now I’m sad.

After the match, Bolin invited them back to the gym to show Korra a few pointers, Keiko wanted to argue that it was late and they should be going back, but Korra dragged her along.

At first, Bolin was worried about how his Earthbending would translate to Korra's Waterbending, she told him it wouldn't be a problem because she's also an Earthbender and a Firebender.

He didn't get it right away, but his brother did.

Bolin spent the entire walk to the gym in awe at being in the presence of an Airbender and the Avatar.   
  


In the gym, Keiko watched (it wasn't intentional), as Bolin stripped from his Pro-Bending uniform and was left only in his undershirt, trousers and shoes.

He was...very well built, to say the least.

Keiko felt the tips of her ears grow hot and she cleared her throat, trying to find anywhere else to look but they kept drifting back to Bolin.

Suddenly he stretched, flexing his back muscles and she felt the flush spread to her cheeks.

The Airbender shook her head and tried to focus solely on Korra, her friend and not on Bolin who was making her feel things, strange complicated things she's never felt before.

She even forgot Mako was there.

But again, it didn't last as somehow her eyes drifted right back to Bolin.

Korra took an Earthbending stance and launched two Earth disks at the net across the room.

"That was great! Good power! But in a real match, you'd be a sitting turtle duck." Bolin explains, "not so upright and flatfooted," he takes a lighter stance.

"Stay light on your toes, right up until the moment when you need to dig in and strike. Then..." He quickly raises two Earth disks and sends them flying toward the net, "pop, pop!"

Korra stares at the net with open mouth, while he turns to her with a broad smile and gestures at the net, inviting her to give it another shot.

"Okay, let me try it again." Korra looks decisive, she jumps from side to side, before throwing two disks at the net, mimicking Bolin's fast strikes.

"Wow! Nice adjustment!" Bolin says, impressed with how quickly she caught on, "you're a natural at this!"

By the stairs, Mako speaks, quite aloof, "not bad."

Korra looks slightly irritated, gesturing towards Mako, "what does it take to impress this guy?"

"What? I said 'not bad'" Mako says, a little defensive.

Korra rolls her eyes and turns her attention to Keiko, "Kiki, what did you think?"

Keiko doesn't answer, Korra isn't even sure if she heard her.

She was busy making goo-goo eyes...at Bolin.

Korra pouts and stomps up, waving her hand in front of Keiko's eyes, "Keiko."

The Airbender blinks and sits up straight. "What?"

"I asked, 'what do you think?" Korra repeats with her arms crossed.

"Oh..." she chuckles listlessly.Keiko knits her brows, slightly confused, "about what?"

The Avatar groans.    


* * *

It's a new day, Tenzin and Keiko decide to try the gates again.

This time Jinora, Ikki and Meelo are present.

Korra looks a bit flustered, this was her third attempt.

She takes a deep breath, she’s annoyed and determined.

Korra sprints toward the spinning gates. She manages to run inside but is immediately hit by a spinning panel and knocked around again while grunting in pain.

"Patience, Korra," Tenzin instructs.

Korra tries again, she's is knocked to her knees, she loses her temper and bursts into a violent Firebending tantrum, burning and breaking most of the gates, knocking some out of their sockets and break in two or are burned down.

The Airbenders stand there, gaping wide-eyed at Korra's outburst.

Korra stands in the middle of her smoking, smouldering mess, breathing heavily.

Tenzin, shocked, speaks slowly, quietly, "that was a two-thousand-year-old historical treasure!" He closes his eyes in frustration. "What...what is wrong with you?!" He shouts, furious, his cape blowing behind him.

Korra gestures widely while speaking angrily. "There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing just like you taught me, but it isn't sinking in, okay?" She slants her head in frustration. "It hasn't clicked like you said it would!"

Tenzin tries a calmer tone with his eyes closed, "Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me..."

"I have been!" She shouts, "but you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me! Maybe the reason I haven't learned airbending yet is because you're a terrible teacher!" She points at Tenzin.

Keiko is shocked at her outburst, she watches her friend storm off. Meelo points up at Tenzin, energetic from the chaos, "yeah! You're a terrible teacher, daddy!" He runs forward, kicking and throwing some of the burnt up wreckage, imitating Korra's tantrum, while growling and screaming.

Dejected, Tenzin bows his head while Keiko and the girls hug him, comforting their father.   


* * *

Keiko follows Korra to the Pro-Bending arena, she wanted to see Bolin again but didn’t mention it.

But she had a feeling that Korra knew.

  
The Avatar leads them through the arena, taking the same path Bolin took last night.

Opening the door they step inside the locker room where three people are talking in the back.

Bolin is sitting on the bench, while Mako is leaning against the wall, both looking defeated.

Keiko and Korra look at each other, concerned.

“We didn't miss your match, did we?” Korra asks, “you guys look like you lost already.”

“We might as well have,” Bolin said, dejected.

Angry, Mako informs them, “Hasook’s a no-good, no-show!”

The referee opens the door and all of their attention is on him, “You got two minutes to come out ready to play, or you're disqualified.”

The door closes and Keiko comes up with an idea.

“Couldn’t you ask one of them to fill in?” She asks, gesturing to the other team.

“Nah. The rules say you can only compete on one team.” Bolin says, but now it was Korra’s turn to come up with something.

“Well then...how about me? I'm a top-notch Waterbender if I do say so myself.” She says, crossing her arms, Bolin looks away from Korra to his brother and back to Korra.

“But...you’re the Avatar, isn’t that cheating?”

“It’s not cheating if she only uses Waterbending,” Keiko says, Korra nods, “right.”

“No way. I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there,” Mako says, opposing the idea, the Avatar looks offended.

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence,” was her sarcastic reply.

The referee opens the door again, “time’s up, you in or out?”

Before Mako could say anything Korra tells him, “we’re in!”

“We are?”

Elated, Korra runs for the closet, Bolin stands up, just as excited, “yes!”

He’s standing above Keiko, a little too closely so she backs up, fighting the urge to blush.

He was much taller than her but so was Mako, but Mako didn’t make her feel that fluttering in her tummy that left her confused.

Bolin did.

“I didn’t agree to this,” Mako protests.

“You can thank me later!”

Korra starts to tug on the uniform. Mako looks down at Keiko and asks, “is she always like this?”

“For as long as I’ve known her so...yes.”

The Firebender frowns.

Keiko watches them go down on the platform and sits down, ready to watch the game.

Korra’s uniform was too big and looked a little silly, she had to keep adjusting it.

They take their positions on the centre line.

“Looks like the Fire Ferrets have ferreted out a last-minute replacement waterbender. Let's see if she's another diamond in the rough like the brothers from the school of hard knocks!” The commentator says, Keiko watches them take a fighting stance.

“Players! Are you ready?” The referee holds up his hand and blows his whistle.

When the bell is rung, Korra smiles confidently and immediately conjures a powerful water blast with her foot which she uses to knock the opposing Waterbending player over the side of the ring, who screams before landing in the pool.

The remaining Firebender and Earthbender on the team stare wide-eyed at the spot their teammate was just knocked over the ropes.

The crowd boo’s and Mako grits his teeth, Bolin just...stares and above them Keiko covers her face with her cape.

Excited, Korra runs around, waving her hands in the air to celebrate her move.

“Woohoo! Man overboard!”

The referee blows his whistle, “Fire Ferret Waterbender, penalty! Move back one zone!”

“What? Why?” Korra asks, confused.

“You're only allowed to knock players off the back of the ring! Not over the sides!” Mako yells in frustration, Korra looks embarrassed and apologizes, “oh, sorry.”

Korra moves back one zone, and the waterbender that was knocked over the side and rejoins his teammates.

Keiko watches as the game goes on, it seemed to be going alright, but then Korra’s foot went over the line, earning them a foul.

She’s moved back to zone three.

Round one ends and they're quick to advance into round two, Korra looks a little more confident but Keiko could tell her frustration was building.

The other team starts to focus much of their attention on Korra, trying to knock her over the edge and into the water.

At that moment Keiko watched Korra reach her breaking point and hurls two Earth disks at them.

“Wait a minute! Did that Waterbender just Earthbend?”

The crowd gasps in shock, the Platypus Bears who gaze at Korra in wonder.

A whistle is blown. “Foul! I...think,” the referee calls.

Korra laughs awkwardly. She stops for a moment when her helmet slips over her eyes again, before resuming smiling broadly. Mako as he lowers his head and closes his eyes while sighing and shaking his head.

Keiko watches on, fiddling with the edge of her cape, things don’t look so good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve been thinking about character heights, which comes in handy while writing.  
> Korra is 5’7 and going off of that I put Mako at 6’2, Asami at 5’11 or 6’0, Bolin at 5’10 and Keiko at around 5’2.  
> I made Keiko small for several reasons that will be explained later, in upcoming chapters.

Back on Air Temple Island, the White Lotus guards are sat around a table, listening to the match on the radio.

“Hold on, folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but...”

Behind them, Tenzin approaches the table.

“I-I think this replacement player could be...no, there's no way!”

“Pardon me, everyone, have you seen Keiko and Korra this evening? They’re not in their rooms.” Tenzin asks, they hadn’t heard him over the radio.

“You've gotta be kidding me!” The commentator says, “she’s the Avatar, folks!”

The Lotus guards are shocked, one of the women took a sip of her drink but immediately spit it out upon the announcement.

“Playing in a Pro-Bending match!”

Behind them, Tenzin’s eye twitches in anger and he turns slightly red.

“Can you believe that?”

“I’ll get them myself!” He walks away, fuming, a gust of wind swirls some leaves around.

Back at the arena, the referee announces, “the Avatar will be allowed to continue so long as she only bends water!”

A bell signals to resume the match.

The Platypus Bear Earthbender stomps the ground and raises an Earth disk, launching it.

The other Platypus Bears also direct their attacks in the same direction as the disk, directly at Korra.

“This girl may be the Avatar, but she's no Pro-Bender and the Platypus Bears are intent on exploiting that weakness!”

Korra deflects the coins with a water whip, as well as the fire blast and water bullet.

She nimbly backflips under another coin and water attack, before crossing her arms before her face to protect herself from a fire blast.

Keiko watches everything unfold, she’s completely covered herself with her cape at this point, only her eyes stick out, she can hardly watch.

“They're giving her their best, and her best ain't good enough to stop it!”

The Platypus Bears launch another wave of attack on Korra, she’s hit in the side by a fire blast, knocked out of balance by an Earth disk in the stomach, and thrown back by a water blast against the head. Korra bounces past, and falls over the rim and tumbles in the water.

“Aaaaand, she’s in the drink,” the commentator announces.

“Oh no,” Keiko mutters and peers over the edge to see Korra swim out of the water.

But she didn’t expect to see her father standing there.

Waiting, and he was angry.

That was an even bigger oh no.   


Korra chuckled nervously, “oh, hey, Tenzin. I thought you didn't like coming to these matches.”

Tenzin’s arms were folded and he asked, “where is Keiko?”

Korra pointed above them and Tenzin looks up and meets his daughter's eyes who looks terrified.

“Keiko, come down here! Right now!” He demands and she does as she’s told, landing silently beside Korra.

Keiko doesn’t look at her father, but at her shoes instead, cheeks burning with the shame of getting caught.

“Once again, you have flagrantly disobeyed my orders.” He says to Korra but then turns his attention on the both of them, “you were to stay on the island! Let's go.”

A bit sad, Keiko glances back but joins her father, they were prepared to leave but Korra put her foot down.

“No! I'm kind of in the middle of something.”

Tenzin slowly turns around, “I have tried my very best to get through to you by being gentle and patient,” he gradually takes on an angry tone, “but clearly the only thing you respond to is force! So I am ordering you to come back to the temple right now!” Tenzin points down to emphasize his words.

Feeling defiant, Korra argues, “why? So I can sit around and meditate about how bad I am at airbending?”

Keiko watches her friends face twitch with anger, “you know what, I'm beginning to think there's a reason I haven't been able to learn it! Because, maybe, I don't even need it!”

“What? That is a ludicrous suggestion! The Avatar needs to learn Airbending! It's not optional!”

“No! This is what I need to learn!” She gestures at the Pro-Bending playing field behind her. “Modern styles of fighting!”

“Being the Avatar isn't all about fighting, Korra!” Tenzin explains, trying to keep his cool, “when will you learn that?”

Korra raises her head in defiance, “I have a match to go finish.” She walks away from Tenzin to the nearby elevator.

Sighing, Tenzin glances down at Keiko, “do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Keiko shakes her head, “I’m sorry,” she apologized, Tenzin puts his hand on her shoulder, his anger had dissolved but he was still disappointed, “come on, let’s go home.”

Keiko turns and glances one more time at the field, eyes shifting from Korra to Bolin.  
  


They were on their way out when the commentator grabs their attention.

“The Platypus Bears come out of the gate and quickly go after the Ferret brothers! They're corralled in the corner, wedged in the edge of zone one, unable to come to the Avatar's rescue! And boy, does she need it!”

The two Airbender’s turn around to see what’s happening.

The Waterbender of the opposing team raises water from the grate in front of him and bends it away; he advances and repeats the attack.

Bolin who has crosses his arms in front of his chest to defend himself against the first water attack. He retaliates by throwing an Earth disk, but is forced to raise another coin in front of him to defend himself against the incoming second water blast.

Meanwhile, the Firebender attacks Mako, who attempts to retaliate as unsuccessfully as his brother.

The two opposing benders drive them into the corner of zone one, against the railing.

Mako and Bolin are being showered by water streams, which forces them to remain in the corner.

The opposing Earthbender and Firebender as the launch their attacks.

The Waterbender directs one water blast after the other at Mako and Bolin, locking them in the corner, while Korra is constantly put on the defensive by fire and earth attacks.

She dodges an Earth disk but is frontally hit by a water blast and pushed into zone two.

Korra catches an Earth disk and throws it away.

Keiko covers her eyes and the buzzer sounds, signalling Korra had been pushed into zone three.

“Looks like the Avatar's Pro-Bending debut is going to be cut short! She's been pushed back to zone three, and the water is calling her name!”

Korra nearly falls over the edge of the arena. She dodges an Earth disk and regains her balance.

Her look of anger changes to one of focused determination.

“It's only a matter of time before...” the commentator cuts himself off.

Korra takes on an Airbender stance and begins to dodge the three opposing players' attacks in the method she was taught to pass the gates in her Airbending training, changing direction at a moment's notice.

“Hold the phone! Stop the presses! She's still in the game, folks! And she's moving like an entirely different player! All of a sudden, the Platypus Bears' strikes are only striking air!”

Keiko opens her eyes slowly, she watches Korra and laughs, astonished.

“Well how about that,” Tenzin says, dumbfounded.

“She got it!” Keiko breathes, grinning from ear to ear.

Platypus Bear team. They all look tired, and their attacks lack their previous power. Switch to an aerial shot as a water blast is travelling toward Mako and Bolin who ready themselves to get hit. However, before the blast makes contact, the water loses momentum and falls to the ground.

“The Platypus Bears have no juice left, but Mako and Bolin are still fresh and juicy!”

Mako and Bolin who waste no time to counter. Mako promptly begins attacking them, directing quick fire blasts at the opposing Earthbender, soon aided by his brother's Earthbending.

The Platypus Bears Earthbender is pushed back by a disk, and the Waterbender is knocked off his feet by a water and fire combo. Korra spins rapidly around her axis, building up momentum to charge her water bullet, the Platypus Bears are put on the defensive and are being hammered by the strong attacks of the Fire Ferrets.

Mako directs three blasts at the other team; knocking the Waterbender back several zones, into the water.

The Earthbender who takes a hit from an Earth disk. Stumbling back, several water and fire attacks push him backward, all the way into the water.

The last remaining player as he is hit by two water blasts, he tumbles into the water.

A bell is rung several times.

“Knockout!” The commentator announces, Keiko jumps for joy but didn’t expect her father to also be excited, but he was and she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Tenzin clears his throat and regains his dignity, but was still pleased.

“The Fire Ferrets come from waaay behind and steal the win! What an upset, folks! The rookies, Avatar in tow, have nabbed a place in the championship tournament! I can not believe it!”

In her excitement Keiko launches herself into the air, she lands on the field and almost right into Bolin who moved at the last minute, right into her path.

Her hands press up against his chest to regain her balance and she looks up, grey eyes met green.

Bolin is looking at her with a lop-sided smile, she feels her face heat up and her heart begins to race, that fluttery feeling in her tummy returns.A small squeak escapes her lips and she jumps back a little and zips to Korra’s side. 

Keiko recovers quickly and grabs her friends shoulders, “that was amazing! You were amazing!” She pulls Korra into a hug and when they pull apart the Avatar asks, “you stayed and watched?”

Keiko nods, “my dad was impressed too, you moved just like an Airbender! Pro-Bending really is the perfect tool for you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Early in the evening, the sun had set, Keiko and Korra were outside.

Keiko spun the training gates and Korra weaved her way through, almost elegantly.

“Good,” Keiko praised, smiling, “light on your feet.”

Korra spins out on the other side without being touched once by the gates.

She lands before Keiko and rests her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Keiko spots someone coming ip the stairs and squints.

It’s Mako.

He has his hands in his pockets, when he gets closer Keiko sees that he’s frowning.

“Hello, Mako,” she greets and Korra stands up straight, turning around quickly.

“Hey, Mako.”

“Have you seen Bolin?” He asks, getting directly to the point.

“Nice to see you, too.” Korra pouts.

“We haven’t seen him,” Keiko says, “I’m sorry Mako.”

“Think something’s wrong?” Korra asks and Mako shakes his head.

“I don’t know, Bolin has a knack for getting himself into stupid situations,” the Firebender sighs, “see you later,” he starts to walk away. Korra briefly glances down, but quickly raises her hand as she calls after Mako.

“Wait.”

Mako turns around.

“I could, uh...” Korra glances at Keiko, “we could help you look for him.”

Mako raises his hand to brush her off, “nah, I got it.”

Keiko steps forward and gently grabs his arm, “let us help you, we can take Miki.”

Mako raises an eyebrow, intrigued, “who’s Miki?”  
  


Keiko leads them to the bison caves, she approaches Miki and rubs her forehead.

"Miki is a flying bison," Mako says, "that makes perfect sense."

Keiko smiles and ties reins to her horns.

"Isn’t she kind of small?” He asks, tilting his head.

"The runt of her herd," Keiko informs, "I chose her because she's small, like me, it's something we have in common," she looks at Mako and smiles.

Miki was half the size of a normal bison but carried Korra and Mako on her back comfortably. 

"Korra when we find Bolin, I want you up here with me," she says as they fly over Yue bay, "Miki isn't big enough to handle three on her back at once."

"Got it."

When they reach the City, Korra and Mako peer over the saddle and eye the city streets for any sign of Bolin.

Mako points to a particular spot and Miki flies over a statue of Fire Lord Zuko, landing beside it.

They hop off of Miki.

"Well, this is his usual hangout," Mako says and approaches a group of street kids, "You guys seen my brother around here today?"

One of the children steps forward, "Perhaps. My memory's a little... 'foggy'," he leans closer while casually rubbing his nose. "Maybe you can help 'clear it up'," he holds out a casual, but suggestive hand, asking silently for money.

"You're good, Skoochy," Mako says, annoyed, Humph, a real pro." Mako digs into his back pocket and retrieves a yuan. He hands it to Skoochy, who immediately puts it away in the inner pocket of his jacket.

Keiko and Korra eye them, disapprovingly.

"Yeah, I seen him."

"When?" Mako asks.

"About noon."

"What was he doing?"

"He was performing some kind of monkey rat circus. And then..." Skoochy holds his hand out to Mako again. Mako rolls his eyes in annoyance, but takes out another yuan, giving it to Skoochy.

"And then what? Why did he leave?"

Skoochy in closer, hand at the side of his mouth. "Shady Shin showed up and flashed some serious cash, Bo took off with him in his hot rod. The Triple Threats? The Red Monsoons? The Agni Kais? All the triads are muscling up for something real big. Now that's all you're getting outta me!"

Skoochy promptly turns around and runs off.

"What's he talking about?" Korra asks and Mako sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sounds like there's a turf war brewing, and Bolin is going to get caught in the middle of it."

Keiko frowns, worried, "well let's go find him before he can get himself into actual trouble."

She runs back to Miki and jumps on, taking the reins in hand and waits for Korra and Mako.

"So, where are we going?" Keiko asks.

"The Triple Threat Triad's headquarters. Hopefully, Bolin's there and nothing's gone down yet."

Once up in the sky, Mako directs her on where to go.

Below them, Keiko spots a little red creature running down the road.

"What's that?" She asked, squinting at it.

Mako looks over the side and his eyes widen, "that's Pabu! Bolin's fire ferret!"

"Down, Miki!" 

Miki lowers and Mako jumps out, he approaches the ferret and he recognizes him, wasting no time to climb on his shoulders, he gets back on the bison.

"Yip yip!"

Miki lands outside of an abandoned restaurant, they're somewhere downtown.

Keiko has never been here before, but she's hardly been anywhere in Republic City.

Before Korra got here, she hardly left the island (unless her father wanted to take a "vacation" to one of the abandoned Air Temples or the whole family had to go to an event, usually council related stuff).

"Something's not right," Mako says, "there're usually thugs posted out front. We better be cautious." He presses his back against the doorpost and peers into the door window, he signals to Korra and Keiko that it is safe to come up.

As he slinks back into the shadows, Korra casually strolls toward the door, forsaking any sneaking up. She kicks the double doors out of their hinges.

The small party enters the empty room, looking around. The building is strangely empty and the furniture is broken.

"Bolin?" Mako calls, "you in here?"

A truck's engine roars outside, Korra, Keiko and Mako promptly run out the back.

As they crash through the door, they're just in time to witness a truck and five motorcycles drive off. The back doors are still open, inside they can see Bolin and Shady Shin, tied and gagged.

One of the masked men closes the doors.

"Bolin!"

They run after the vehicles, two masked figures on motorcycles pull out smoke grenades and toss them.

They explode with a flash, producing thick and heavy green smoke.

The masked figures drive off with screeching tires.

Keiko takes an Airbending stance and blows the smoke away, shouting, "Miki!"

Miki rumbles and flies over the abandoned restaurant, landing long enough for the trio to jump on.

"Stay low, girl," Keiko says and gives her reins a flick and Miki sets off, staying close to the road.

They pursued.

Mako leans out of the saddle sending fire blasts at the masked motorcyclists, who swerve to avoid it.

Korra brings her arms up and the road raises, the first motorcyclist avoids it but the second launches into the air by the ramp Korra created.

They dash into an alley and Keiko pulls Miki up, following them into an open square.

Two of the motorcyclists fall back, one swerving to the left and the other bring her motor to a spinning halt while throwing a bola at Miki, tying her two front legs together.

She crashes to the ground with a low roar, the force knocks the three of them off her, tumbling to the ground.

Keiko pushes herself up onto her feet and looks around, the two masked motorcyclists, who elegantly twist in the air to land at opposite sides of the trio to fight them.

The female rider wastes no time and runs for Korra, who ignites her right fist and sends a large fire blast at the incoming attacker. She elegantly avoids the blast by jumping over it, twisting several times in the air, and continues her run for the Avatar.

She initiates a hand-to-hand combat with Korra.

The chi blocker aims for Korra's head, but the Avatar averts the course with her left hand.

She retaliates with a fire blast, which her opponent ducks under. The chi blocker locks arms with Korra.

The Avatar throws another fire punch with her left hand, but the chi blocker leans back to dodge it, knocking Korra's hand to the side.

She delivers about four punches to the Avatar's side and arm and backs away. Korra staggers with a grunt, as her right side has gone numb. She grabs hold of her right arm with her left one, her eye big in wonder about what just happened to her.

Korra's look changes to one of determination. Korra madly charges the masked female with her left hand ablaze.

The masked woman avoids the blast, flips over a low-aimed fire blast, and jumps to avoid a fire blast aimed at her feet. Korra aims two more fire blasts at her attacker, but to no avail, as she dodges.

Meanwhile, Mako is down for the count, arms numb.

It's Keiko and the masked man now, who's having a hard time catching the little Airbender.

He's quick but he doesn't have her agility.

She ducks, moving side to side, weaving, bending and slipping between his legs.

Keiko isn't exactly fighting him, she's averting, toying with him and hoping Korra would hurry up and deal with the masked woman so they can move on.

Suddenly Korra falls backwards and knocks right into Mako, it distracts Keiko for long enough that she feels sharp jabs to her arms, she grunts and feels them go numb.

She goes offensive and wheel kicks, sending a blast of air his way, knocking him to the ground.

Short-lived victory as the masked woman jabs her in the leg and she falls, feeling the numbness spread.

Miki growls and bites at the restraints, ripping them off.

The bison bounds for them, using her body to block her bender and her friends from the chi blockers. Miki roars, loud enough to send unknowing birds into the sky.

She drives them off.

They hop back on their bikes, tossing the same smoke grenades at them.

They drive away.

The trio slowly pushes themselves off the ground, Keiko’s limbs feel like pins and needles. 

Korra stares curiously eyes her hands, and raises her arms, punching out in an attempt to bend.

Nothing happens.

She tried again and nothing, “I can’t bend,” she tries again, “I can’t bend!” She’s starting to panic, but Mako shushes her.

“Calm down, it’ll wear off,” he tells her.

“What were they?” Keiko asks, trying to shake the feeling from her arms and leg.

“Chi blockers, they’re Amon’s henchmen.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still not 100% sure on how to write fight scenes.


	6. Chapter 6

They spent the night searching the city, finding no sign of Bolin or the chi blockers.

Miki was growing tired.

"We've gotta keep looking," Mako insists, "but where?"

"I have an idea," Korra informs, telling Keiko where to go.   
  


Republic City Park, covered in morning fog. They pull up by a fountain, Keiko hops off and leads Miki to it, so she can have a drink and rest.

"The first day I got into town, I ran into an Equalist protester, over there," Korra points behind the fountain.

"And you think they'll know where Bolin is?" Mako asks.

"It's worth a shot," Keiko says, moving to sit beside them, "we're running out of options."

Later, they're under a large tree, resting against Miki's side.

Mako has his eyes closed and arms crossed behind his head, Keiko is making leaves dance around for Pabu's entertainment and Korra is looking around, slightly uncomfortable. Eventually, she turns to Mako.

"So, why is Bolin running around with the Triple Threat Triad, anyway?" She asks, unsure.

Mako shifts, uncomfortable and evasive, "Well, we...we used to do some work for them back in the day."

"What? Wha- Are you some kind of criminal?" Korra asks, dismayed, it grabs Keiko's attention and the leaves stop dancing and fall in her lap, Pabu makes a sound of protest.

Mako is quick to defend himself, "No! You don't know what you're talking about. I just ran numbers for them and stuff. We were orphans out on the street; I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother." 

"I'm sorry. It must have been really hard," Korra says, sympathetic.

Carefully, Keiko takes on a gentle tone and says, "may I ask what happened to your parents?"

Mako sighs, "they were mugged, by a Firebender. He cut them down right in front of me. I was eight." Mako pulls his scarf over his mouth to hide, Keiko places a hand on his arm consolingly, "I'm so sorry."

"Bolin's the only family I have left. If anything happened to him..."

"We'll find him, Mako," Keiko assures, "I know we will."

At some point they fell asleep, it was early afternoon when they woke to someone yelling into a megaphone.

"Equality now! Equality now! We want equality now!"

Keiko lifts her head from Miki's fur, she rubs her eyes and squints, she's knocked over by Mako as he and Korra move as far away from each other as they can.

Mako apologizes and she waves him off, he stands and helps her to her feet.

Keiko bends down and picks up Pabu, holding him like one would an infant.

He didn't seem to mind.

They wander towards the noise, Korra recognizes him and points, "that's him, thats the guy."

"Nonbenders of Republic City, Amon calls you to action! Take back your city! It's time for the..." he yelps as the trio walks up to the table.

Korra looks determined and unamused expression. Not using the megaphone he yells, "it's you again!" Pointing to Korra, he lifts the megaphone, "you cannot silence me, Avatar!"

Korra promptly swats the megaphone, it flies out of his hands and hits the ground, it breaks into little pieces.

"Shut your yapper and listen up. My friend got kidnapped by some chi blockers. Where'd they take him?"

The protester crosses his arms, uncooperative, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Oh, I think you do," Korra says, mildly threatening.

Korra lifts her leg in the air and slams it down with a half-moon kick. The Earth underneath the table rises, catapulting it in the air and throwing the protester off.

Airborne, the table flips, leaflets with a picture of Amon are thrown off and rain down.

The protester starts to pick up the leaflets, a dismayed look on his face. Mako grabs one of the papers out of the air and examining it.

"'Witness the Revelation tonight, nine o' clock'." He turns to the protestor, "what's this 'Revelation'?"

"Nothing that concerns the likes of you three!"

The protester squeals as Korra grabs the collar of his shirt and pulls him up, way above her head.

"You better believe it concerns us. Spill it."

Frightened the protester cracks, "No one knows what the Revelation is! And I have no idea what happened to your friend." He switched from frightened to arrogant, "but if he's a bender, then my bet is he's getting what's coming to him!"

"Where's it happening?"

At the sound of a whistle, Mako, Keiko and Korra turn to their left.

A policeman shouts, "hey! What's going on over there?"

"These benders are oppressing me!" He shouts back and Korra drops him.

"Let's scram!"

They each pick up a handful of leaflets and run towards Keiko's bison.

She holds the reins tight in her grip, "Miki, yip, yip!"

Miki takes off.

In the saddle, Korra and Mako look over the leaflets, trying to find something that gives a location.

"Probably because they don't want just anyone waltzing in to their big 'revelation' whatever that is. I bet the information is hidden on here somehow. Look at the backs." He bends over to the leaflets in the saddle and grabs two of them, turning them over and putting them together. "There's four different images."

"It's a map!"

Mako pieces it together and points at the red dot, "that's where it's going to go down!"

* * *

It's dark when they find the place in the Industrial sector.

The rally was being held in an abandoned factory.

Keiko hid Miki in a nearby warehouse and they donned their disguises. Keiko left her cape in the saddle and covered her clothes with a long, old coat, Mako suggested she also wear a hat and gloves to cover up her tattoos.

They crouched behind a corner, watching. They see a group of people flash something at the doorman and were let inside.

“Let’s go,” Mako stands straight and walks for the door, Keiko and Korra right behind him.

They approach the doorman and the large man crosses his arms, “this is a private event. No one gets in without an invitation.”

“Uh...invitation?”

The doorman looks suspiciously at them, cocking an eyebrow.

Mako fishes around in his pocket and pulls out one of the leaflets to show him, “you mean this?” He asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

The doorman the leaflet, eyes it, and moves out of the way, “the Revelation is upon us, my brother and sisters,” he says, quite friendly.

They walk to the meeting place and look out over the gathered crowd.

It’s bigger than expected.

There’s a stage at the far end, decorated with Equalist symbols and a large poster of Amon that matches the leaflets.

“I knew a lot of people hated benders, but I've never seen so many in one place.” He turns to Keiko and Korra, “keep your eyes out for Bolin.”

They moved through the crowd, as close to the stage as they could get.

“Please welcome your hero, your saviour...Amon!”

Amon emerges from a trapdoor in the stage with a line of Equalists behind him under loud approving cheers of the crowd. A spotlight is turned on, illuminating the Equalist leader, Amon as he walks up to the microphone, the people still cheering loudly for him.

Without thinking, Keiko grabs the Avatar’s hand, she felt uneasy but nothing has really happened yet.

Amon takes the microphone in hand and starts his speech.

“My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did, that firebender took my family from me. Then, he took my face.”

The crowd gasps in astonishment.

“I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since. As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City.”

The crowd boos loudly and Korra hides her face in Mako’s scarf.

“And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But, she is wrong. The only thing bending has brought to the world, is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era. But that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, ‘What is the Revelation?’ You are about to get your answer.”

Korra and Keiko exchange a worried glance. “Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the Avatar has failed humanity. That is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make Equality a reality. The power to take a person's bending away. Permanently.”

The audience gasps.

Keiko’s eyes widening in horror, she turns to Korra and Mako who wear a similar expression, “there’s no way, that’s impossible, he has to be lying,” Keiko whispers.

“This guy’s insane,” Mako says, turning back to the stage.

“Now, for a demonstration. Please welcome, Lightning Bolt Zolt.”

An Equalist guard leads the tied up man onto the stage.

“Leader of the Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City.” The crowd boos.

“Ah, boo yourself!” Zolt yells to the audience.

Equalist guards lead four more tied up benders onto the stage, forcing them to their knees, Bolin is the last of them, he’s terrified.


	7. Chapter 7

Korra determinedly starts walking to the front but is pulled back by Mako.

“Wait, we can't fight them all. We need to be smart about this.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Keiko asks, unable to tear her eyes away from the stage, away from Bolin, the poor guy looked so scared. Keiko was full of the nearly overwhelming urge to run up and help him, but knowing that she was one of the few remaining Airbender’s held her back.

“Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing Nonbenders. But his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now, in the interest of fairness,” the Lieutenant takes off the rope binding Lightning Bolt Zolt. “I will give Zolt the chance to fight to keep his bending.”

“You’re gonna regret doin’ that, pal!”

Lightning Bolt Zolt immediately directs a fire blast at Amon.

Amon nimbly dodges every blast that Zolt throws at him, gradually coming closer.

Amon dodges the rounds of fire blasts switches to a frontal shot of Zolt who surges forward while generating lightning. He fires the bolt at the Equalist leader who ducks underneath it, grabs hold of Zolt's wrist, and twists it around and away from him.

The lightning crashes into the stage before hitting the ceiling as Amon turns his hands further away. His neck is being grabbed by Amon's hand, lightning still shooting out of Zolt's fingers, as Amon moves his hand from Zolt's wrist to his forehead.

Amon places his thumb in the center; Zolt's face is contorted in fear.

The crackling lightning changes into a large fire blast and stops entirely.

Amon lets go of Zolt, who collapses weakly onto the ground.

He takes a few steps back and Zolt attempts to Firebend at Amon to no avail; he crashed back to the ground before the feet of the Equalist leader. The crowd gasps.

“Wha...what did you do to me?”

“Your Firebending is gone. Forever. The era of bending is over. A new era of Equality has begun!”

The crowd cheers madly. Keiko shudders, a shaky gasp escapes her lips, full of terror.

One of the Equalist guards releases the second captured bender, Shady Shin, and kicks him forward to face Amon.

“Any ideas yet?” Korra asked Mako in urgency.

Mako nods, “I think so, see those machines?”

They look toward the machines on the walls.

“They're powered by water and steam. If you create some cover, Keiko and I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing. Then, we duck out of here.”

“Works for me.”

Keiko watches Korra move through the crowd and disappear.

Mako takes her hand and starts leading her to the front of the crowd, not to fast, they don’t want to draw suspicion.

Amon is taking away Shady Shin's bending. The other Earthbender and Bolin are eyeing each other in fright.

The bender is grabbed by the collar and pulled to his feet. He gasps, and Bolin is left for last.

They stand there, watching Amon remove another bender's bending. Mako turns to his left, looking to where Korra disappeared to.

“Come on...”

A frightened Bolin is next, a Equalist guard moves toward him.

As the Equalist starts to fumble at his ropes, Bolin anxiously looks back, whimpering softly.

Once he is free, he is pulled on his feet and thrown forward. The bender Amon just took care of slumps down in exhaustion.

Amon as he slowly turns around under loud cheering of the crowd. Bolin, fumbles as he addresses Amon, shaking slightly.

“Uh, hello, Amon, sir.” He attempts a goofy grin, “I think there's been a big misunderstanding.”

Amon steps forward and Bolin stumbles back.

Keiko shuts her eyes tightly, “c’mon Korra,” she whispers.

An explosion to his left makes him duck for cover; under loud screams of the crowd, steam starts to pour in, engulfing everything in its path, clouding everyone and everything.

Several civilians backing up from the incoming steam, turning around and making a break for it. Amon standing amidst the steam, he backs away, vanishing completely.

Keiko seizes the opportunity and jumps on stage before Mako, using the steam as camouflage, she’s faster than him.

Bolin looks around him, a focused look on his face. He slowly backs up but is grabbed from behind by an Equalist, much to Bolin's shock.

Keiko emerges out of the steam from behind the Equalist, grabs hold of him, and throws him away over her shoulder, using Airbending to assist her.

The Equalist is flung far away, smacking into a nearby wall.

Bolin turns and finds Keiko there, she’s tossed off her disguise.

“Are you okay?” She asks, placing comforting hands on his forearms.

“Yeah,” he breathes, still unsure, “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, let’s go find Mako, I’m sure he’s not too thrilled that I stole his hero moment,” she says in one breath and grabs Bolin’s hand, running to find an exit and trying not to think about the size of his hand and how small it makes her feel, not in a bad way, but in an ‘I kind of like it’ sort of way.

She never really put much thought into it, he was bigger than her, it made her heart pound. That fluttery feeling in her stomach returns but she pushes it away.

They eventually find Mako and find an exit.

Keiko sends a blast of air at the door and opens, knocking a few chi blockers overboard.

The only way down is a ladder, Mako goes first, then Bolin then Keiko.

She’s barely gone down the ladder when Amon’s Lieutenant, twirling his electrified kali sticks, slams them into the ladder, sending an electrical charge through it.

They scream in shock and pain and fall down, Keiko doesn’t hit the ground, she lands on something warm and solid.

Bolin.

The Lieutenant jumps down from the balcony, his kali sticks charged.

The benders come too just as the Lieutenant releases the charge, forcing them to jump away.

Mako raises his fist and goes on the offensive, launching a fire jet at the crouched Lieutenant from his left fist. The Equalist as he runs off to avoid the blast.

He attacks Mako with his kali sticks, electricity trailing behind them as he rapidly swings them around. With a few fast hits, Mako is floored, and the Lieutenant turns to Bolin.

Bolin flips over and uses his own momentum to hurl a slap of Earth at the Lieutenant with a grunt of focus, who jumps up, twirling out of its path.

He does a similar evasive maneuver to avoid the second block a grunting Bolin threw at him, before charging the Earthbender.

Alarmed, Bolin pulls up a large earth wall to protect himself. The Lieutenant does a round-off, before backflipping and somersaulting over Bolin's wall.

He lands behind a shocked Bolin, who quickly turns to face him, and after delivering several quick hits with his charged kali sticks, the Lieutenant jabs him with the two electrified kali sticks and electroshocks him until he falls to the ground unconscious.

Suddenly, Mako emerges from beside the wall, using the adjacent building to push himself off in the Lieutenant's direction, sending a fire slice in his direction.

The Lieutenant dodges and Mako kicks out another fire slice while grunting in effort, knocking over Bolin's wall with his attack.

The Lieutenant charges Mako again and after a quick exchange of some blows striking air from both parties, the Lieutenant lands a hit with a kali stack in Mako's stomach, flinging him back with a grunt of pain.

As Mako is pushed up against the wall, the Lieutenant charges and twirls both his weapon sticks and jabs Mako's chest, electroshocking him into unconsciousness.

Mako slumps onto the ground.

The Lieutenant turns his attention to Keiko who’s been out of the fight so far.

“I’ve been saving you for last,” he says, pointing at her with one of his kali sticks, “little Airbender.”

He charges for her and she jumps out of the way, high out of his reach, the Lieutenant growls in frustration and charges for her again but she ducks, sliding under his legs.

She dodges each of his advances, he’s starting to grow frustrated, less controlled.

“Stay still!” He yells, charging. Keiko takes an Airbending stance and blows a spiral of air in his direction, knocking him back several feet into a wall.

When it looks like he’s not getting up she runs for the brothers and makes sure they’re okay.

Taking the bison whistle from her pocket she calls for Miki. (only used if Miki is too far to hear her voice).

Keiko doesn’t hear the Lieutenant coming up behind her.

He jabs her side with his kali stick, she screams and twitches, the breath is knocked from her lungs and she falls, unconscious onto Mako.

“You benders need to understand, there's no place in the world for you anymore.”

A pillar of rock shoots up beside the Lieutenant and thrusts him brutally against the building.

He slams hard against the metal, his two kali sticks are knocked out of his hands, and he falls down onto the ground.

As he tries to get up, he sees Korra standing there.

“I wouldn't count us out just yet,” Korra says, keeping her Earthbending stance.

The Lieutenant collapses and there’s a roar in the night sky.

Miki lands, blocking them from the Equalist.

Bolin gets to his feet and shakes it off, he and Korra reach for Mako and Keiko at the same time, Mako was slowly coming back to his senses, but Keiko was still out cold.

He sees Korra go for the Airbender but holds his arm out, “I got her,” he tells the Avatar.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” he picks her up without any effort at all, “I’m sure,” he looks down at her, this is the first time he’s been this close to her without his helmet.

He replayed that moment in his head since it happened, how she flew into him after the match on accident, her hands on his chest, she smelled like lavender and sandalwood.

She still does. 

And then, she looked up at him with wide, grey eyes, they remind him of the moon. 

Bolin carries her to the bison, he never noticed how small she was.

Well, he knows she’s short, everyone could see that.  
But the actual size of her was obscured by the cape she wore.

He loosened his grip on her slightly, suddenly afraid that if he wasn’t careful he could crush her accidentally.   
  
Like she really was as delicate as she looks. Well, she’s not delicate, he knows that, but she looks it. 

Her hair had fallen out of her braid and she has a bit of dirt on her cheek, he wipes it away with his thumb, looking down at her with unknown affection.

Unknown to him, anyway, but Mako could see it, he’s never seen his brother look at anyone like that. 

Bolin gets into the saddle and lays her down on top of her cape. 

Mako joins Korra upfront and she takes the reins, “Miki, yip, yip!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? I like size differences 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. Chapter 8

Korra drops the brothers at the arena and flies back to Air Temple Island.

Keiko is still unconscious.

Korra carries her from the bison caves towards the girl's dormitory when she runs into Tenzin and two White Lotus sentries.

They turn to Korra and Tenzin’s look of relief turns into concern as he approaches the Avatar.

“I was about to send out a search party, what happened?” He asks, taking Keiko from her arms and into his, holding her close.

“We found our friend,” Korra informs, “we snuck into an Equalist rally and we saw Amon. While trying to escape Amon’s right hand attacked us.”

“What?” Tenzin asks, shocked.

“But that’s not all, Amon can take people's bending away. For good.”

“That’s... that's impossible. Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability.”

“But I saw him do it,” Korra insists, “he was about to take our friends before we interfered.”

Tenzin’s eyes widened in alarm, “he...he didn’t...”

Korra shook her head, “we’re fine, he didn’t touch us.”

He sighs, full of relief, “oh, thank goodness.”

He tightens his grip on Keiko, “I believe you, I don't know how Amon has achieved this power, but this means the revolution is more dangerous than ever.” Tenzin who looks out at Republic City, “no bender is safe.”   
  


It’s late into the night, Keiko is asleep.

A shadow passes the doors and she quickly shoots up in her bed, alarmed.

Immediately, an Equalist chi blocker breaks through the window, while two more break in through the door.

Keiko jumps out of her bed and kicks upward, sending a blast of air their way. The chi blockers dodge it and come at her, but Keiko blasts two more shots of air to keep them at bay.

The chi blockers avoid her attacks, while one leaps up in the air while spinning like a top in an attempt to kick Keiko’s head, but Keiko dodges in time and fires several blasts of air.

While Keiko is distracted from keeping two of the chi blockers away, the other somersaults and uses chi blocking on her back, before kicking her to the ground on her knees while she lets out a shout of pain. Fatigued, Keiko hears footsteps and looks up to see Amon walking towards her.

“I’ve already taken care of your family and when I take your bending away, that’ll be the end of the Airbender’s.” He says, reaching a hand toward Keiko’s face as she watches with fear.

Keiko wakes up with a frightful scream, beads of sweat running down her face and gasping for air, revealing that it was all a nightmare.

Momo chirps beside her, crawling into her lap, he looks up at her with worried orange eyes.

Keiko lets out a sigh and scratches his ear, “it’s alright, Momo, just had a nightmare.”

She hears a similar scream across the hall and gets up out of bed, letting Momo climb up onto her shoulders.

She opens the door and knocks on Korra’s.

“Korra?” She calls, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” the Avatar calls back, “just had a bad dream, nothing to worry about, go back to sleep Kiki.”

* * *

In the early evening the following day, Korra and Keiko are going over Airbending stances while light, happy music plays from the radio.

But then it goes static and soon after Amon’s voice sounds through.

“Good evening, my fellow Equalists.”

Keiko stops dead in her tracks, sharply looking at the radio. As she listens she goes still, fear creeps up her spine.

“This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear.”

The radio returns to static.   


* * *

Another day passes and they’ve gathered for dinner, Korra and Tenzin sit across from each other, Pema sat beside him, Keiko and Meelo are across from Ikki and Jinora.

Keiko holds her cape up and Meelo sits under it, letting the red fabric drape around his head like a blanket.

Before they dig in, they bow their heads as Tenzin starts a prayer.

“We are grateful for this delicious food, for happiness, for compassion and...”

“I'm not interrupting, am I?”

The family looks up to see Councilman Tarrlok standing in the archway.

This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner.” Tenzin says and stands up to face him.

“Good, because I am absolutely famished.”

Tenzin narrows his eyes while glaring at him. 

“Airbender’s never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?”

Tenzin sighs, “I suppose.” He sits back down and glances at his wife, Pema, who scowls at him. He raises his hands and shrugs, giving her a helpless look.

Tarrlok walks over to Korra.

“Ah, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honour,” he bows, ”I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe.”

Korra stands up and bows, “nice to meet you.”

They sit down at the table and Ikki slides over. “Why do you have three ponytails?” She sniffs the air. “And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird.”

“Well aren't you...precocious?”

He directs his attention to Korra, although Ikki continues glaring at him. “So, I've been reading all about your adventures in the papers. Infiltrating Amon's rally, now that took some real initiative.”

“Oh, thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in the city who's happy I'm here.” Korra says.

“Republic City is much better off now that you've arrived.”

“Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?” Tenzin asks, taking a protective tone.

“Patience, Tenzin. I'm getting to that.”

He directs his attention to Korra while Tenzin glares at him.

“As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force that will strike at the heart of the revolution and I want you to join me.”

Korra looks at him, surprised, “really?”

“I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly, someone who is fearless in the face of danger. And that someone is you.”

“Join your task force?” Korra pauses and thinks it over, “I can't.”

Surprise lights up Tenzin, Tarrlok and Keiko’s faces.

“I must admit, I'm rather surprised. I thought you'd jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon.” 

“Me, too,” Tenzin says, somewhat quietly.

“I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that.”

Tarrlok still persists, “which is why this opportunity is perfect. You would get on the job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city.”

Tenzin, somewhat annoyed, sets his bowl down, “Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to go.”

Tarrlok holds up his hand in surrender, “very well.” He stands up to leave. “But, I'm not giving up on you just yet.”  
He chuckles slightly, waggling a finger at her. “You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra.” He bows and on his way out, Ikki stands up and waves, “Bye-bye, ponytail man!”

Councilman Tarrlok scowls at Ikki's farewell and grunts in distaste as he walks out.

* * *

Early the following morning Bolin decides to visit Keiko on Air Temple Island.

But he didn’t want to come empty-handed.

He wanted to get her something, a gift as a thank you for the other night.

The Earthbender picked up an egg custard tart, he wasn’t sure why, especially since there were plenty of cupcakes he could’ve chosen from.

But getting her an egg tart seemed like the right decision. 

On the way, he looked at the little tart and frowned.

It wasn’t enough.

Bolin fished inside his pockets, he only had a few yuans left, but he was sure he could find something.

And he did, a flower cart.

He looked them over; panda lilies, plum blossoms, sunflowers, et cetera.

But his eyes fell on a rose, a single light purple rose, surrounded by red.

He’d never seen a rose that colour before. He touched a petal with his thumb, it was soft, like Keiko’s cheek had been when he wiped the dirt away.

Smiling fondly he paid for the rose and went on his way.  
  


At the temple, he sees Keiko, who’s not wearing her cape.

She’s standing on her index fingers. 

Footsteps make her look up and she smiles when she sees him, “Bolin, hi.”

Keiko flips from her stance and spins around in a graceful twirl. She flips her braid over her shoulder and approaches Bolin, who has his hands behind his back.

“I’m sorry that I’ve been keeping Korra from practice,” she apologizes, “but we’ve been busy, going over Airbending basics.”

“That’s alright, we’re probably out of the tournament anyways unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow. Anyway, the reason I came by was to give you this.” He holds out the tart and the rose, “ta-da!”

“Is that an egg custard tart?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what you’d like,” he says, rubbing the back of his head.

Keiko gently takes the gifts, “they’re my favourite, thank you.”

A blush creeps onto Bolin’s cheeks, “you’re welcome.” He feels pride swell up in his chest, knowing he brought her something she liked. 

She looks the rose over, caressing one of the petals, “what’s all this for?” She asked, that fluttery feeling in her stomach had returned, she hated the feeling, she didn’t know what it meant but she hated it.

Bolin rubs his chin, “uh oh I can't remember now. Oh yeah, now I remember. You helped saved me from Amon!”

“Oh,” she mumbles, bashful, “it wasn’t really a big deal.”

“Not really a big deal? Are you serious? I was totally freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all, ‘I will take away your bending forever’.” Bolin says, acting like a zombie, trying to comically replicate Amon while Keiko looks at him with a worried expression.

“I mean that is...scary stuff, I still can't sleep well.”

“Delivery for Avatar Korra!” Someone says behind a large basket of flowers and things, topped with a pretty bow. He sets it down beside Keiko and blinks at her, “oh, terribly sorry, the basket was blocking my view, I thought you were the Avatar.”

Keiko smiles reassuringly at him, “that’s alright, I’ll make sure she gets this, who’s it from?”

“Councilman Tarrlok, please tell Avatar Korra that he sends his compliments and urges her to reconsider his offer.”

Keiko nods and the page walks away.

“Offer?” Bolin asks and Keiko nods.

“Tarrlok is putting together a task force to fight the Anti-bending revolution and to fight Amon.” 


	9. Chapter 9

Keiko kept adjusting her formal outfit.

Councilman Tarrlok was holding a gala in Korra’s honour.

Normally she wears similar clothes to her father, but tonight she was wearing the same thing Pema was; a dark red and gold dress with scarlet cape and shawl.

She kept her hair down, she even curled it a little the night before using silk cloth.

Normally she doesn’t wear makeup but she used just the littlest amount of pink rouge on her cheeks and lips.   


She stopped her fidgeting with a sigh and leaves her room. 

* * *

It’s a clear evening, City Hall is lit up and music could be heard from the street.

The moment they walk in, the girls run off.   
The other attendants start clapping as they notice Korra. Pema starts wandering off and socializing with the people in the background. 

Korra looks around stunned, standing next to Tenzin and Keiko.

“I can't believe this is all for me,” Korra says in awe.

“I'm not sure what Tarrlok's plotting, but keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it.”

Keiko catches Tarrlok approaching them.

“So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra.”

Keiko felt something brush against her dress and looked down, Meelo sped past, running towards something.

“If you'd excuse us, the city awaits its hero,” Tarrlok says, addressing the two Airbender’s, he walks away with Korra.

Tenzin starts looking around and notices Meelo,he gasps in shock and embarrassment, “Meelo! No, that's not a toilet! Oh dear.” He walks toward Meelo in shame while covering his eyes, leaving Keiko alone.

Almost immediately she catches sight of her mother, walking around the room and still in uniform, she was always in uniform.

Somehow she could feel Keiko starring and looked up, their eyes met and Keiko looked away, trying to swallow that lump in her throat.

Her eyes found Korra and she tried not to rush over.

Bolin saw red out of the corner of his eye and turned his head. Keiko was walking in their direction, dressed in scarlet and gold with pink lips and cheeks. 

She looked beautiful and the poor boy couldn’t stop that lovestruck smile that stretched across his face.

Keiko lightly touched Korra’s bicep and the Avatar turned, relieved to see her, “Keiko.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she says.

“You’re not, trust me,” the Avatar assures, giving her hand a squeeze.

Tarrlok cleared his throat, “Mr. Soto, may I introduce you to Councilman Tenzin’s eldest daughter, Keiko Beifong.”

Keiko froze at the sound of her last name, the name she never uses.

Her friends gape at her and she feels her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment, but she puts on a smile and shakes Mr. Sato’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sato,” she says, trying to remain polite even though the only thing she wants to do is run away.

“Likewise, Miss Beifong, this is my daughter Asami,” he says, gesturing to the beautiful girl on Mako’s arm.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Beifong.”

“Oh, call me Keiko, please.”

Asami nods with a radiant smile, “alright, Keiko it is.”

She caught sight of her mother again, and so did Tarrlok because the next thing she knew, her mother was coming this way.

“Chief Beifong, I believe you and Avatar Korra have already met.”

Her mother looks at Korra and glares, her tone harsh and cold, “just because the city's throwing you this big to-do, don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this.”

Lin looks away from Korra and looks her daughter directly in the eye, “Keiko.”

“Mother,” she says, keeping the same cold tone.   
  


Back at the temple after the gala, Korra pulled Keiko aside.

“Why didn’t you tell me your mother was Lin Beifong?” Korra asked, “I mean it makes sense to me now, you look like her.”

Keiko sighed and sits down on a stone step, “my mother and I don’t have the best relationship, actually, we don’t really have a relationship.”

Korra sits beside her.

“When I was five, we discovered I was an Airbender and my mother sent me to live here, with my father so he could train me, we’ve barely spoken a word since.”

Keiko decides to leave the rest out, deciding not to tell Korra the worst of it just yet.

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes, looking at Keiko with sympathy.

“It’s alright, it doesn’t hurt anymore, I’m over it,” she lies, forcing herself to look at Korra and smile. 

* * *

Korra looks determined, handling a ball of water.

She splits it in two and rapidly launches each smaller water bullet in a different direction.

Bolin raises his right arm in front of him, an Earth disk following the motion and hovering in front of his face.

As the water Korra launched at him strikes the disk, he is shoved slightly backward by the impact.

Mako moves back and twists around, vaporizing the incoming water with fire. He immediately retaliates with two fire punches.

Bolin's Earth disk is pulverized by Mako's fire attack.

Korra aims another rapid water blast at Mako, who jumps over it, while Bolin launches an earth disk at Korra, forcing her to shield herself with water from a nearby tank.

Mako fires a blast at each of his teammates, which both of them block with their element.

A second fire blast hits Bolin square in the stomach. As he is falling down, he raises and launches a last Earth disk.

Korra knocked back with a grunt as the disk plants itself in her stomach.

Korra's water attack hits Mako straight in the face, flinging him to the ground several meters from where he was standing.

They all sit up and laugh.

Mako as he stands up and takes off his helmet, resting his left hand on his hip.

"It's been great having you at so many back-to-back practices, Korra."

"Feels good to be back, although Tarrlok isn't too happy about my leave of absence." She says.

Bolin is quick to point out, "hey, you joined the Fire Ferrets before you joined his task force."

Bolin catches a flash of orange, red and yellow and looks left.

He forgot Keiko was here, how could he forget she was here? Today was the day he was going to ask her out, no more fooling around.

He likes her, she might like him, he just has to go for it.

The Airbender was using one of the balance beams in the gym. She was doing a series of back handsprings with full twists, back and forth on the beam, he watched in awe.

On the last one, she flipped off the beam and spun to face them.

"So, do you guys feel ready for the tournament tonight?" She asks, picking her cape up off the floor.

"I think we're ready," Mako says with a smile.

The door opens and Asami walks in pushing a cart that held their new uniforms, "Not quite, you'll need these." She shows them the new uniforms, they were almost the same as the old ones with the addition of the Future Industries logo.

"Hey, Asami,” Mako greets.

“Good morning, sweetie.”

Korra looks annoyed.

Mako takes the unform to get a closer look, “these new uniforms look great!”

“You look great, champ!”

Mako and Asami kunik, Bolin looks with a ‘Really?’ expression, Keiko is indifferent, while Korra shows her disgust, but quickly acts normal when Mako turns around.

Well, teammates, I'll see you before the match tonight. Asami and I have a lunch date.”

Bolin waves goodbye, “okay, we'll check you guys later, you know, we'll see you when we see ya.”

When the door shuts he slides over to Keiko while she waits for Korra to gather her things, the Avatar notices Bolin and he shoots her a rather desperate expression, eyes darting back and forth from Keiko to Korra and the Avatar nods.

“I’m just going to step outside for a minute, I forgot something in the locker room during our last match.”

Keiko raises an eyebrow but decides not to question it.

Korra closes the door behind her.

Hands behind his head Bolin clears his throat to get her attention, “So, Keiko. There they go, here we are, all alone in the gym, just you and me, two alone people. Together. Alone.”

She shifts awkwardly, “I’m going to go meet Korra outside,” she says, picking up the Avatar’s gym bag. She knew what Bolin was doing, or she thought she did.

Jin had asked her out in a similar way and while she hoped Bolin meant it in a friendly way, not a ‘let's go on a date’ way, she didn’t want to take that chance.

She liked Bolin, she did, but just as a friend, even though he made her feel fluttery things inside.

When the door closed behind her, Bolin looks disappointed about his failed attempt to pick a date with Keiko.

It’s snowing outside, Mako and Bolin are home in the attic, where Mako is preparing dinner while Bolin is preparing a bath for Pabu.

The animal protests his owner's act, but Bolin finally manages to dip Pabu into the tub of water, who subsequently rises from it, shaking off water from his body with a look of defeat.

“Work with me here, Pabu! You wanna look spic and span in your new uniform, don't you?”

Bolin manages to get Pabu to stay still.

“So, what do you think of Keiko, in a ‘girlfriend’ sort of way?”

“I think she’s fine, but I’m kind of with Asami right now.”

Bolin pouts, slightly annoyed, “I was talking about a girlfriend for me! Leave some ladies for the rest of us!”

“Sorry,” Mako pauses, tossing the noodles in the pan, “have you thought about asking her out?”

The Earthbender sighs, “I tried but she ran off.”

“So, try again.”


	10. Chapter 10

Korra, Jinora, and Ikki are feeding fruit to ring-tailed lemurs in the snow.

“So, how's it going with the tall, dreamy Firebender boy? You've been spending a lot of time together lately.” Jinora asked.

“Oooh, yeah! Tell us all about the magical romance.”

“What?” Korra chuckles, “listen to you two, I-I'm not interested in Mako or any romantic stuff. Besides he's all into that prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl...but let's just pretend for a second I am interested in him. What would I do?”

“Ooh! I just read a historical saga where the heroine fell in love with the enemy general's son, who's supposed to marry the princess. You should do what she did!”

Excited, Korra says, “tell me!”

“She rode a dragon into battle and burned down the entire country.”

Korra begins to frown at the unrealistic idea. “Then she jumped into a volcano. It was so romantic!” Jinora sighs.

“Uhh...”

“No, no, no!” Ikki stomps her foot and starts speaking rapidly. “The best way to win a boy's heart is to brew a love potion of rainbows and sunsets that makes true lovers sprout wings and fly into a magical castle in the sky, where they get married and eat clouds with spoons and use stars as ice cubes in their moonlight punch. Forever and ever and ever!” She Airbends upward in a circular motion out of excitement.

“The volcano is starting to make more sense to me now.”

Someone laughs behind them.

Korra turns around and sees Pema on the path. “Oh, hey Pema. Uh, how long were you standing there?”

“Long enough. But trust me, I know what you're going through. Years ago I was in the exact same situation, with Tenzin.”

Ikki was very surprised, “daddy was in love with someone else before you?”

“Of course he was,” Jinora says, “how else was Keiko born.”

“So what did you do?” Korra asked.

“Well, for the longest time, I did nothing but I do know I could’ve gone about it a different way. Tenzin already had a child and I was young. But watching my soul mate spend his life with the wrong woman became too painful. So I hung my chin out there and I confessed my love to Tenzin.”

Pema’s smile faded as she remembered Keiko, how she reacted and she grew sad, “at the time I had no idea how my actions would affect Keiko, I was so focused on myself and what I wanted that her feelings never came to mind.” Pema looked off to the bison caves where Keiko was, “she hated me, back then.”

“What? How could she hate you?” Ikki asked, a little angry, “you’re the bestest mom ever!”

Pema sighs, “try and see it through her eyes, she was Meelo’s age. Imagine if that happened to you, and your father fell in love with someone else and left me, how would you feel?”

Ikki’s shoulders slumped, “sad,” she says, looking at her feet. 

“But when did she start to like you?” Jinora asked, Pema looked at Ikki and smiled.

“Just after Ikki was born,” she says.

Jinora’s eyes go wide, “that long?”

“Yep, but I can tell even now, she still holds a little resentment but she tries.”

It was quiet for a moment and Jinora asked, “has Keiko ever been in love? Maybe she could help Korra.”

Pema shook her head, “no, she hasn’t and I don’t think she ever will be.”

“What do you mean?”

Pema thought about how to explain it but decides that’s something Keiko should explain herself, so she asks, “do you remember Jin?”

Jinora’s eyes lit up, “you mean the tall, dreamy acolyte who moved to the Northern Air Temple?”

Pema nods, “that’s the one. A few months ago he had a thing for Keiko but she didn’t know what he was doing, she thought he was being friendly so she came to me and I explained it to her. A few hours later I found them in the courtyard, he tried to ask her on a date but she shot him down.”

“Why?”

“I think that’s something Keiko should explain herself.”

* * *

“All three rounds go to the Future Industries Fire Ferrets to win the opening match of the tournament!”

The audience goes wild, Bolin stays behind to thank them while Korra and Mako enter the locker room.

“Wow, we were really connecting out there in that ring.”

“Yeah! You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring, too.” Korra says, she felt her cheeks grow warm and she stares at Mako with a lovesick expression.

“Uh, sure.”

“So, I was thinking we should spend some time together.” The Avatar suggests.

“Oh, we've been spending lots of time together.”

“I mean outside of the gym, and not while searching for kidnapped family members or fighting chi blockers.”

Mako looks at her, unsure, “I don't know. Asami and I have—”

Korra interrupts abruptly, “look, I really like you and I think we are meant for each other!” Korra quickly turns around and hides her face with her arm, blushing lightly.

Mako sighs and speaks to her gently, “Korra, I'm really sorry, but I just don't feel the same way about you.”

Dejected, Korra fought the stinging in her eyes, “Forget I ever said anything...”

The door opens, Asami and Keiko walk in, the Airbender is holding Pabu like a baby (he apparently likes it).

“Congratulations, guys! You were so amazing out there.” Asami kisses Mako on his cheek.

Mako and Korra look uncomfortably at each other.

Keiko can feel the awkwardness in the air, she watches Korra sit down on the bench.

But then she sees Bolin, he takes off his helmet and approaches her.

Keiko squints, there’s something different about him, his hair and eyebrows were groomed neatly, despite being in that helmet of his.

And when he got closer she sniffed the air, he was wearing cologne. He smelled earthy, like patchouli and cedarwood.

She kind of liked it.

“So, Keiko, I was thinking, you and me, we could get some dinner together, you know, just the two of us.”

She raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously, “as friends?”

“Yeah, just you and me.”

Keiko glanced towards Korra who looked down in the dumps and back to Bolin, “could you give me one moment.”

Bolin nods and she zipped to Korra’s side, kneeling down so she could see her face, “are you okay?” She asked her friend in a whisper, who struggled to contain her emotions.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

Keiko frowns, “what’s got you so upset?” Korra looked anyway and she placed a hand on her knee, “c’mon, you can talk to me.”

The Avatar sighs, “I sort of confessed my feelings to Mako and he shut me down.”

“Oh, Korra, I’m sorry, is there anything I can do?”

Unable to fight it anymore, Korra lets out a quiet sob, “no, I kind of just want to be alone now.”

“Are you sure?”

Korra nods and the Airbender sighs, “alright, I’ll see you at home, okay?”

Bolin watched her stand and walk over, pressing her lips together, “so...what did you have in mind?” She asked and Bolin’s face lit up.

“How do you feel about Water Tribe food? Because I know a great place downtown.”

”Water Tribe is fine.” 

Korra sat there alone, listening to the door close behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bolin said “Fallingforyou by The 1975” in this chapter

Keiko and Bolin sit across from each other in Narook's Seaweed Noodlery.

“So, how do you like it?” Bolin asks while slurping his noodles.

Keiko chews and swallows, “Hmm, it's good, but my Gran-Gran’s are better.”

Bolin apparently only heard the first half of what she said.

“That's great, 'cause this is my favourite joint. See? You like Water Tribe food, I like Water Tribe food, just another reason we are so great together.”

Keiko didn’t catch the disappointment in his tone.

She smiles, Keiko was still cautious about this whole thing, so far Bolin hasn’t shown any signs of this being a date. 

They were just two friends out for dinner, friends go out with friends all the time.

But she couldn’t force away the fluttering feeling in her stomach or her heart leaping, the squeezing feeling in her chest.

This feeling she only gets while near Bolin, she doesn’t get it with Korra or Mako.

Just him.

When they left the restaurant Keiko was prepared to say goodbye and part ways but Bolin wasn’t ready to go yet.

“I want to take you somewhere else, if that’s okay,” he says looking down at her with hopeful eyes, she felt trapped by them, drawn like a moth to a flame.

She gave in and he started leading the way.

It was dark and the city glittered, the lights in the windows mimicked the stars in the sky.

Suddenly she grabbed his arm, holding onto his bicep with both hands.

Bolin forgot how to breathe, Spirits, she would be the death of him.

He has had crushes before but this felt like more, so much more.

When she smiled it made his heart stop.

When looked at them with those sparkling, silver eyes, it made him weak in the knees.

When his name passed her lips he swore it was the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.

When he was with her it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

From the corner of his eye, he spots a flower cart and fishes around in his pocket.

What kind of date would he be if he didn’t get her a flower?

Keiko let out a small gasp of surprise when Bolin suddenly changed course, leading her towards a little flower cart.

She felt her mouth dry and her heart raced in her chest.

What was he doing?

Bolin stopped a few feet away from the cart and asked her to turn around and close her eyes.

She did as he asked and the Earthbender walked towards the flower cart, punching the air with a big smile on his face.

He had enough for a whole bouquet worth.

Keiko wanted to turn around and tell Bolin he was being ridiculous, but that wouldn’t be very nice, but she didn’t need flowers.

This wasn’t a date.   


A tap on her shoulder startled the girl and Bolin apologizes.

“You can turn around now,” he says and she does, uncovering her eyes and they fell directly on the red roses in his hands, he presents them to her, “flowers for the lady.”

When she doesn’t take them right away he glances down and finds her looking at the flowers, unsure.

But she does take them and she brings them to her nose to smell them, eyes fluttering shut.

She couldn’t stop herself from smiling, a soft, genuine smile, she liked the flowers, she really did.

She didn’t want to but she does.

“Thank you.”

Bolin takes her hand, lacing their fingers together and this time it’s her that’s left breathless.

He glances down at their hands, he didn’t notice it the last time they held hands, the last time had been escaping Amon.

Her hand was soft and slender and it felt...right, like it was supposed to be there.

Like it was meant to be there.  
  


Eventually, they reached their destination.

Harmony tower.

Keiko’s eyes widened in awe, “I’ve never been here before,” she says.

“Really?”

Keiko nods, “before Korra came to Republic City I hardly left the island, I didn’t really have a reason to and I’m glad she did, otherwise I wouldn’t have met you.”

She froze when the words left her mouth, she didn’t mean to say that, why did she say that?

Keiko couldn’t bear to look at him, closing her eyes in embarrassment.

Bolin squeezed her hand and started to lead her towards the tower.

Up they went until they were high above the city.

Keiko opened her eyes, she was left speechless, she’s seen the city from this high up many times while on her glider, but this time felt different somehow, she couldn’t explain why.

Bolin’s focus wasn’t on Republic City, it couldn’t be, not while she was here.

“I can see City Hall from here!” Keiko says, she looks up at him and smiles, the glow of the tower turned her eyes to gold.

She caught sight of Air Temple Island and pointed to it, Bolin feigned interest.

Right now she was the only thing that had his attention.

The lights brought out the burgundy in her hair and Bolin couldn’t resist, he gently took out the tie holding her braid together and watched her hair unravel, it blew in the breeze.

Lavender and sandalwood, it was all he could smell and cautiously the Earthbender reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, soft to the touch.

Ethereal, that’s what she was, kind and beautiful and soft and so many other things and he had fallen for her. 

Keiko turned to face him, “are you doing okay Bolin? You haven’t said a word since we’ve been up here.” She placed a hand on his chest, he didn’t say anything, he just stared down at her with tender affection.

He covered her hand with his and used the other to cup her cheek, running his finger over the soft skin, she blinked, staring up with wide eyes.

“Bo?”

Finding courage he closed his eyes, bent down and kissed her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reposted this chapter, I accidentally hit the post button last night, it wasn’t finished.
> 
> But now it is. :)

Keiko pushes Bolin away, the flowers fall to her feet and she covers her lips with her hands.

She stares at Bolin, tears well up in her eyes and she lets out a sharp sob. 

Mortified Bolin reached out but she stepped back.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologizes earnestly, Keiko shakes her head.

“Why did you...I can’t...I...” she sobs and runs away.

“Keiko! Wait! Please, I’m sorry!”

The door slams and people are staring.

Trying to swallow the lump in his throat, he bends down and picks up the roses.

Back at the temple, Keiko walks passed the White Lotus sentries in the direction of the girl’s dormitory.

She stood outside Korra’s door and slid it open.

The Avatar was asleep in her bed, Naga lifts her head when Keiko steps inside.

She unclips her cape and wipes her eyes with her sleeve.

Numbly, she walked over to Korra’s bed and laid down, facing the snoring Avatar.

* * *

When Korra woke up in the morning she didn’t expect to find Keiko in bed, staring at her.

“Kiki? Everything alright?” She asks, sitting up.

“Did I ever tell you why I’m afraid of love?” Keiko asks, looking at Korra with tear-filled eyes, puffy and irritated from hours of crying.

Korra didn’t answer, she just let Keiko talk.

“When my parents broke up I remember hearing my dad tell my mom that he didn’t love her anymore. And it stuck with me.”

She sniffs, “it shouldn’t have, it’s been eleven years, I should be over it, people fall out of love all the time, it happens.” Keiko shrugs, “but for some reason, the thought of falling in love...terrifies me.”

Keiko turns and looks at Korra, chin wobbling, “Bolin kissed me,” she whispers, new tears flowed, “he kissed me and it felt...right? Good?” Her voice cracked and she sat up, wiping her eyes, “I don’t know, it’s all so confusing.”

Korra watched her friend with concern, she didn’t know how to help or comfort her, she seemed to be in such distress.

“For so many years I’ve held onto the belief that love was conditional and I still do but now I’m afraid I’m having a bit of a crisis.”

She takes a deep breath in.

“I think I’m falling in love with him.”   


* * *

Seeing Bolin again was awkward and strange, neither of them spoke a word to each other, they just went about their morning.

Mako could sense something was up, when Bolin got home last night he didn’t say a word, just crawled into bed.

The Firebender heard his brother crying around three in the morning.

He’ll have a word with Keiko to find out what exactly she did to make his brother cry.

Bolin shoots off two Earth disks into the net. Mako throws two fire punches and Korra moves a small water blob around a bit before launching it forward.

Keiko is in the background, working on her aerobatics, it was the only place she could in peace lately, her siblings weren’t around and she wasn’t getting knocked over by air scooters.

Pictures of their opponent Tahno is suspended on a rope; the first one gets cut in two by Bolin's Earth disk tearing through it, the second one gets incinerated completely by Mako's fire blast, and Korra's water blob takes off a large portion of the third image.

Korra as she triumphantly jumps up, raising her left hand.

“You're listening to ‘The Music Hour’,” The man on the radio says, “brought to you by Cabbage Corp, Republic City's trusted name in technology for over fifty years.”

“Man, I got a good feeling about tonight. I don't care if we are the underdogs. We can take those pompous Wolfbats.” Korra says, upbeat.

Mako takes off his helmet, “it’s going to be our toughest match ever, but I think you're right.”

Bolin wraps his arm around Mako’s shoulder, imitating the announcer, “introducing your new champs, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!”

Korra looks over at Keiko who’s walking around on her hands, at some point Pabu woke up and was now sitting on her feet.

The radio begins to broadcast static and changes to Amon's speech as he interrupts the program. Korra looks at the radio in alarm, Keiko stops, Pabu jumps off and she flips onto her feet, staring at the radio in fear.

“Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's Pro-Bending match because it will be the last.”

Mako and Bolin walk up to the radio.

“It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences.”

Static returns and the radio is silent.

“That guy's got some nerve.”

“You think the council will give in?” Mako asks.

“I'm not waiting to find out. We need to get to City Hall.”

* * *

Korra pushes the doors to the council room open and they step inside.

Tenzin stands up from the table, taking on a stern expression, “Girls you shouldn't be here. This is a closed meeting.”

“As the Avatar and a Pro-Bending player, I have a right to be heard. You can't cancel the finals.”

Tenzin sighs, “I know winning the championship means a lot to you. But as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the arena down.”

“What about the rest of you? Tarrlok, there's no way you're backing down from Amon, right?”

“Actually,” Tarrlok stands, “Tenzin and I agree for once.”

“The council is unanimous. We're closing the arena.” Tenzin announces.”

The brother’s protest.

“No!”

“You can't!”

“I-I don't understand. I thought you, of all people, would take a stand against Amon.” Korra says, gesturing to Tarrlok.

“While I am still committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives at stake just so you and your friends can play a game.”

Mako steps forward, “Pro-Bending might only be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city! Right now the arena is the one place where benders and nonbenders gather together...in-in peace! To watch benders...”

“Beat each other up! In peace!” Bolin fills in for his brother, “it’s an inspiration to everyone!”

Tarrlok sighs, “I appreciate your naive idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation.”

“The reality is if you close the arena, you let Amon win!”

Bolin points to Korra, “yes, exactly what she said! Yes!”

“I'm sorry, but our decision has been made. This meeting is adjourned.” Tarrlok picks up the gavel.

A metal cable knocks off the gavel head and Tarrlok gasps.

Everyone turns to look toward the entrance of the courtroom as Lin enters the scene and coils her cable back, looking at the council.

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, you do?” Korra asks, equally as shocked.

“I expected this kind of cut-and-run response from Tenzin. But the rest of you? Come on, show a little more backbone. It's time that the benders of this city displayed some strength and  
unity against these Equalists.”

Tenzin protests, “we must prevent the conflict between benders and nonbenders from escalating into all-out war! The council is not changing its position, Lin.”

Tarrlok holds up his hand, “now just a moment, Tenzin. Let us hear what our esteemed Chief of Police has in mind.”

“If you keep the arena open, my Metalbenders and I will provide extra security during the championship match. There's no better force to deal with the chi blockers. Our armour is impervious to their attacks.”

Tarrlok raises a brow, “are you saying that you will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?”

Tenzin looks at Tarrlok with a mixture of anger and suspicion.

“I guarantee it,” Lin says, determined.

“It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record.” He turns to the council, “if she is confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my support. I am changing my vote.” He raises his hand, “who else is with me?”

The other three council members raise their hands as Tenzin turns away in disappointment.

“The arena stays open. Good luck in the finals.”

The Fire Ferrets jump in their cheering.

Lin turns and looks at her daughter, “a word, Keiko.”

She walks out of the room and Keiko looks behind at her friends before following.

In the hallway, Keiko stands a good distance away.

Lin looks at her with some amount of regret, she could see the anger in Keiko’s eyes and the pain.

“So, after eleven years my mother finally wants to have a conversation with me.”

Lin sighs, “Keiko, please.”

“What do you want?” She spits out, trying to keep away the tears that burn in her eyes.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize?!” Keiko could hardly believe what she was hearing, “you waited eleven years just so say ‘I’m sorry’?!”

Inside, everyone could hear her voice rising, her friends and father all look at each other with worried faces.

“Sorry isn’t going to fix anything, mom! You abandoned me! I was five! Five!”

“We should go out there,” Korra says but Tenzin places a hand on her shoulder, “no, let them work it out.”

“Did dad ever tell you that I used to wait for you to come visit? He used to come to you directly, do you remember? He practically begged you to come see me, but you said you were too busy! For three years I waited, hoping to one day, maybe, see you coming up the steps. But you never did. And every time I would come into the city with my father you barely spared a glance!”

“Keiko,” Lin took a step forward and Keiko knocked her back a few feet with Airbending.

“Why? Why did you abandon me, mom?” Keiko asked, cracking. Her eyes burned and tears escaped, streaming down her face.

The woman’s steely facade cracks and she felt her own tears sting her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Didn’t you love me?” Keiko sobs, shoulders shaking, Lin takes the steps forward and gathers Keiko in her arms for the first time since she was a child.

“I did,” she rubs her back, “I do, I love you so much.”

”Then why?”

“I was a coward, I thought Pema could do a better job at raising you than I ever could.” Lin admits.

“I thought I was doing what was best for you, I was afraid that I wouldn’t have been a good mother to you and in my effort to avoid it, that’s what I became.”

“I didn’t want Pema,” Keiko says into her mother’s armour, “I wanted you, I wanted my mom.”

“I know, I know,” her voice took on a soothing tone, “I’m so sorry.”

”Why did you wait so long?”

”I was afraid you hated me.”

”I don’t hate you,” Keiko pushes herself away to look up at her mother, “I was just hurt and sad,” she smiles a little but it fades just as quick as it appears, “and I accept your apology but I don’t think I’m ready to forgive you yet, I need time.”

Lin nods, “I understand, I’ll give you all the time you need.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m rewatching season 2 and I just finished Avatar Wan’s episodes and I’m crying, well not really crying but

“The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs? Or will the underdog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smackdown soup?”

Keiko sat with Asami and her father in their box.

She picking at a loose thread on her cape.

The ring announcer comes up to the field, light beaming down on him as the spectators cheer.

"Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!"

The Fire Ferrets come to the arena.

Asami blows a kiss to Mako and winks to him. Mako does the same to Asami, not noticing that Korra pulls a face of disgust.

Keiko catches Bolin staring at her and waves, feeling a little awkwardly. The Earthbender clenches his jaw and looks away.

Keiko tried to pretend that didn't sting.

When they reach the playing field, Bolin signals to Pabu.

Pabu jumps down and does his trick by moving around on his front paws before doing some backflips while Bolin uses an Earth disk, removing the center for Pabu to backflip through and back, ending the performance with one paw standing.

Keiko clapped with the rest of the audience.

"And their opponents, the three timed defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats!"

Bat-masked Wolfbats with purple capes howl and spread their wing capes while fireworks go off all around the arena.

The Wolfbats' fangirls cry and howl in support as the Fire Ferret fans boo.

Tahno takes off his bat mask and unties his cape.

Keiko scratches Pabu behind the ears.

"The champs and challengers face off at the center-line and here we go!" The commentator calls out.

The bell rings.

The Wolfbats instantly move toward their opponents and Tahno attempts an uppercut on Korra with his Waterbending fist.

Korra moves back to barely dodge it and backflips, only to be hit by a waterbending blast.

"Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water boxing."

Mako Firebends and misses while Ming takes two Earth disks and kicks them to Mako, followed by two more, which is enough to force him back to zone two.

Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favour.

Shaozu flips forward while Bolin kicks some earth disks toward him.

One of his disks bounces off the side ropes and hits Shaozu, knocking him against the fence.

"Shaozu gets fancy, but Bolin ricochets a disk off the ropes and says 'No, thank you, sir'!"

Tahno looks at the Fire Ferrets in slight irritation for that. Shaozu runs out the way of Mako's fireball just in time.

"The Waterbender's slug it out, looking evenly matched."

Tahno Waterbends a prolonged stream of water at Bolin, forcing the earthbender into zone three.

"Tahno gets a little too worked up and unleashes a deluge on Bolin that would certainly elicit a foul."

The buzzer sounds and the Wolfbat's are allowed to advance.

"Or apparently not."

Keiko leans in and whispers to Asami, "that should've been a foul, why didn't the referee call it?"

"And the Wolfbats advance despite Tahno exceeding the Waterbending time limit."

The match continues as Korra begins to Waterbend, only to be hit by Tahno's own attack.

Bolin launches a disk at Tahno, who dodges, as Korra rolls to the side.

Mako dodges a disk from Ming and begins Firebending back at him.

"A questionable call by the officials."

Ming lifts up a disk under Mako's foot, tripping him forward, before launching another disk at Mako, sending him back into zone three.

"Ming trips up Mako with another dirty trick!"

Ming launches another disk as Tahno runs forward in preparation to attack, before cutting close-up.

"The Ferret brothers are backed up to zone three and the Wolfbats smell blood."

Tahno freezes the water when Bolin jumps back, causing him to slip, get hit by a fire blast and fall out of the arena.

Keiko gasps and gets up from her chair, she peers over the edge to see if he's alright.

The crowd boos.

"Looks like Tahno snuck in an illegal icing move but once again there's no call."

Tahno and Shaozu both attack Korra as Mako rolls out of the way of an oncoming disk and attempts a fire blast back.

"I don't know what match the refs are watching but it's obviously not this one."

Tahno and Ming both attack Korra, who gets pushed back into zone three and the Wolfbats advance. Mako sends out a Firebending blast but misses.

"A splash-and-clash sends the Avatar to zone three as well."

Mako moves in front of Korra and attempts to firebend to protect the Avatar from the triple elemental attack, but both get pushed out of the arena. The bell rings as the Wolfbats gather together.

"It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a-"

The Wolfbats turn around to celebrate their victory.

"Hold on a second, folks!"

Korra as she clings to the edge of the stadium, holding Mako by the collar.

"Scratch that! The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely."

Korra holds Mako, swinging to throw Mako up onto the arena as she falls and Mako Firebends at Tahno, sending him flying and knocking him down as Ming and Shaozu look at him in surprise.

Tahno stands, infuriated, as the bell rings. Mako winks at him smugly while in a fighting pose.

"What an unbelievable move! These Ferrets aren't just bending the elements, they're bending my mind!"

Tahno glares angrily and growls.

"The underdogs survive to see round two."   
  


The bell dings.

"Round two!"

Mako Firebends, only for it to be blocked by Shaozu. Korra Waterbends at Ming, who blocks it with Firebending.

Bolin sends a disk at Tahno, who blocks it with Waterbending.

Tahno waterbends twice at Korra, who dodges and blocks them.

"The opening salvo is a brutal call as both sides give it their all."

Korra starts to Waterbend, but her right foot gets iced. Tahno kicks her back with Waterbending.

"But once again, Tahno sneaks in a little ice to get the upper hand."

Bolin sends an Earth disk at Shaozu, sending him back.

Ming attempts to block a Firebending blast with a disk but is sent backward.

Mako dodges three fire blasts that were aimed at his head.

"Wowzers! Those look like illegal headshots to me!"

Mako dodges another blast to the head.

The bell rings, all players are still standing.

"Round two will be decided with a tie-breaker!"

The referee flips a coin, "the Fire Ferrets win the coin toss. Which element do you choose?" 

Korra steps forward, "I'm taking this one. Let's go! You and me, pretty boy!"

"Thought you'd never ask."

The other team members move away from the center as it elevates with Korra and Tahno in the middle, preparing to fight.

Korra and Tahno move around for the first strike.

"Come on, little girl. Give me your best shot."

Korra narrows her eyes and Waterbends at Tahno. Tahno dodges it but gets hit under the chin by a stream of water.

Korra had sent the first stream of water as a distraction and used her leg to Waterbend the final blow.

Tahno had attempted to retaliate after Korra's first shot, but Korra's surprise hit to his chin causes his waterbending jet to quickly lose form.

Tahno collapses out of the ring and the bell rings.

"Round two goes to the Fire Ferrets!"

"One round apiece: who wants it more?"

The bell rings.

Ming blocks a water blast with a disk before launching another.

Shaozu and Tahno both launch their own attacks.

Bolin dodges a water blast and launches a disk forward. He is hit by a water blast and sends another disk forward.

"The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions."

Ming launches a disk.

Shaozu jumps over him and sends out a fire blast.

"The challengers are showing a lot of heart but the champs are really starting to find their rhythm now."

Tahno runs and jumps off a pole to dodge an oncoming disk and launches his own water blast.

"Can the Ferrets hang in there with the best, especially when the best are frankly getting a little help from the refs?"

After being hit by the disk she is narrowly misses another.   
Korra launchers her own water blast at Tahno who blocks it.

"It's all down to this final round!"

Mako sends out multiple quick fire blasts. "Mako is leaving it all in the ring."

Ming launches a disk forward before bending up another to bring behind his back.

"But it looks like Tahno and Ming are up to more shenanigans!"

Ming breaks the disc into Tahno's water and Tahno Waterbends the broken disc into three blasts, quickly knocking Bolin and Mako off the arena.

Korra is hit by the water and manages to stay grounded until the rocks reach her and knock her off the arena.

"Oh, this has gone too far! That water had rocks in it!"

Keiko stands up and looks out, "ref!"

The referee looks up at her.

"Those were illegal headshots! You can't let them get away with that!"

He waves her off and announces, "Knockout!"

"What?!" Keiko shrieks, wind blew, almost knocking the Sato's and poor Pabu out of their seats.

Keiko starts shouting at the referee but is drowned out by the uproar of the spectators.

"Well, folks it's a controversial call but the Wolfbats notch a nasty knockout to win the match!"

The Wolfbats celebrating and waving at the spectators.

"For the fourth year in a row, they'll be crowned tournament champions."

What comes next felt like it happened in the blink of an eye.   


Spectators in the stands start to cover their faces with masks. They reach into popcorn boxes and pull out strange looking gloves covered in wires and metal.   


Tenzin is expressing his outrage over the match as Lin turns to look at him.

He turns his head and realizes that an Equalist is standing behind Lin.

“Look out!”

The Equalist grabs Lin by the shoulder and electrocutes her, knocking her unconscious. Tenzin Airbends at the Equalist but is also electrocuted by a female Equalist behind him.

One of the Equalists sneaks up behind a Metalbender cop and electrocutes him into unconsciousness.

Korra surfaces from the water along with her teammates and immediately notices the electricity in the stands, looking up in shock.

“What?”

The door opens, an Equalist stands in the doorway, ready to strike.

He walks past Asami and her father, towards Keiko who’s still giving the referee a hard time.

Asami’s eyes widen in horror as she calls, “Keiko look out!”

The Airbender barely turns around when the man’s glove comes in contact with her left side.

Korra, Mako and Bolin hear a scream from where they float and look up in time to see Keiko fall from her box and into the water.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could I have merged chapters thirteen and fourteen into one single chapter? Yes.
> 
> But I don’t want to make them too long, you know?

“Keiko!” Bolin throws off his helmet, preparing to dive down after her but Korra beats him to it, grabbing her arm before she hits the bottom.

The Avatar swims back up, holding Keiko’s unconscious form by the waist.

Amon’s Lieutenant drops onto the platform underneath the arena.

Korra gasps, the Lieutenant who charges his kali sticks, she tries to Waterbend with one arm, using her legs to keep herself afloat.

The Lieutenant jabs his electrified kali sticks into the pool causing the water to splash into the pool before it could hit him.

The Fire Ferrets are electrocuted and they all scream in pain before falling unconscious. Above them, spectators are screaming in terror.

Tahno and the Wolfbats as they look around in confusion and fear.

Amon and a group of Equalists rise from the ring's center platform.

Korra is dragged out of the water, followed by Keiko and their friends.Lin and Tenzin are still unconscious.

Spectators scream as the Equalists subdue them.

“What's going on here, ref?” Tahno asks, frightened.

The referee lifts his arms in confusion, “I don't know!”

Tahno and the Wolfbats move away as Amon and the Equalists approach them.

“All right, you want a piece of the Wolfbats? Here it comes!”

Tahno launches a water blast at Amon evades it and darts forward.

The Wolfbats begin to bend at the Equalists. Amon dodges Tahno's attack and turns his attention to Shaozu.

Shaozu attempts to hit him with firebending, but Amon dodges and moves behind him, grabs his arm and swings him around once and moves forward with him as he screams.

Tahno attempts to save him with Waterbending, but his hands become restrained with a bola.

Ming's hands also become tied up with a bola and he steps backward before his legs are bound with a second bola.

Two Equalists hold Tahno in front of Amon with Ming and Shaozu on the ground.

Tahno attempts to fearfully plead with Amon. “Wait, please don't do this! I'll give you the championship pot, I'll-I'll give you everything just please don't take my bending!”

Amon places his thumb on Tahno's forehead and takes his bending away.

Equalists drag the Wolfbats' bodies near the edge of the ring and kick them off into the water while massive banners with the Equalist symbol are being unrolled.

The Lieutenant is dragging Korra’s body across the platform to one of the large support beams where her friends are slumped against in a sitting position.

The Lieutenant ties the Fire Ferrets and the Airbender with a long bola.

Above them, Amon is holding a microphone. 

“I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City. So once again, the Wolfbats are your pro-bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory because every day, you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending citizens just like the Wolfbats did to their opponents tonight. Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there: if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate.”

The people in the stands gasp in fear and shock.

“Now, to my followers: for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows, but now we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City.”

Below the Fire Ferrets have regained consciousness, except for Keiko who’s still out cold.

“I'm happy to tell you that the time for change has finally come. Very soon, the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced by a fair-minded Equalist government. You and your children will no longer have to walk the streets afraid! It's time to take back our city.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Mako asks, slightly listening to Amon’s speech above.

Bolin smiles looking towards the water.

Pabu is swimming toward them, he jumps up onto the platform and towards his owner, hopping up into his lap.

“Pabu! Listen up, buddy,” Bolin chatters his teeth at Pabu while Korra and Mako look on in dismay.

“Stop fooling around!” Mako scolds, annoyed.

“I'm not! I'm trying to save us!”

Pabu begins to chew on the ropes.

“See? Pabu's not just a one-trick poodle pony.” Korra and Mako smile at him.

Bolin glances over at Keiko who groans softly but she doesn’t wake up.

Amon is nearing the end of his speech.

“For centuries, benders have possessed an unnatural advantage over ordinary people.”

In stands, two Equalists hold out their electrical gloves near the spectators threateningly.

“But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field. Now anyone can hold the power of a chi blocker in their hand. My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality, and once that goal is achieved, we will equalize the rest of the world.”

He raises his fist in the air, “the revolution has begun!”

An Equalist airship as it appears above the Pro-bending Arena.

Thick, metal ropes with platforms on the end smash through the glass dome, lowering down to the playing field where Amon waits.

He and the Equalists climb onto these platforms and are lifted out of the arena.

In the stands, Lin regains consciousness as other Equalists leave, she rises to her feet and Tenzin sits up with a groan.

She helps him stand, just as explosives detonate on the playing field. 

Lin as she recoils and lifts her arm to cover her face from the blast.

The explosion shakes the arena and the crowd begins to scream in fear.

Bolin looks up while debris falls into the pool.

“It's okay, Pabu. Just a little explosion.” He chatters to Pabu quickly.

“Keep chewing, you're almost through it!”

Pabu moves forward to keep chewing through the ropes, it gives, freeing the Fire Ferrets.

“Yes! Great job, buddy!”

Korra is the first to stand, charging for the pool, “I’m going after Amon!”

“Be careful!”  
  


Korra jumps into the water. She begins

Waterbending herself up in a massive cyclone.

Korra erupts from beneath and makes her way toward the hole in the roof, she looks determined until she realizes she’s not going to make it.

Korra begins to fall, with an outstretched hand toward the ceiling, as she begins to scream.

A cable is shot through the air, it catches Korra, wrapping around her waist. The Avatar looks up and sees Lin, who circles Korra, held up by another cable.

The Metalbender shoots Korra up and out of the arena.

Below, Bolin with Pabu on his shoulder bends down and checks on Keiko, cupping her cheeks in his hands. 

“She’s still out,” he tells Mako and lifts her off the cold ground into his arms in a bridal carry.

Above them,Lin Metalbends up onto the rooftop and shoots her cables toward the airship. An Equalist approaches Korra only to be grabbed by a cable and slammed down onto the glass.

Two more Equalists slide down Korra’s rope, knocking her off.

Korra slams down, the glass cracking on impact.

Lin tries to Metalbend onto the nearest rope as the Lieutenant approaches. The Lieutenant strikes her down with his kali sticks, Lin as she gasps in pain, falling forward to the ground. Three Equalists rush toward her.

Korra firebends at one to aid Lin, knocking him down.

The downed Equalist rolls over and attempts to stand up but is stood on by Korra.

The Avatar Firebends at both the remaining Equalists, preparing another attack.

The Lieutenant moves to deal a knockout blow to Lin until he gets hit by a fire blast from behind, he falls to the ground before quickly recovering to a kneeling stance.

Korra moves to Firebend at him but he quickly dodges, rolling out of the way.

He runs away as Korra chases after him. He stops to turn and fight her, attempting to strike with his kali sticks which Korra dodges.

Korra leaps up and Firebends from her feet, which he avoids. The two Equalists move to aid the Lieutenant.

In the arena, Tenzin is escorting people towards the exits, telling everyone to remain calm and move one at a time.

Up above, the Lieutenant is flung off the roof and tumbles down it toward the water.

Korra heavily lands on the glass, which cracks underneath her feet, she looks down, alarmed and the ceiling breaks and she falls through. As she plunges down screaming.

Lin looks down from above, she releases her cables, abandoning the airship and shoots them at the frames of the ceiling, helping her to gain more speed to reach Korra.

Korra reaches out, swallowed by the smoke.

Lin follows close behind, sending a cable into a nearby Equalist flag. She fires another towards Korra, who catches it.

Lin swings them towards the stands, Korra lets go and tumbles down with a grunt.

Lin helps the Avatar to her feet, “You all right?”

“I'm fine, thanks to you.”

Lin pats her shoulder, “don’t mention it, kid.”

They both turn to look at the fleeing airship. “Looks like we lost this one.”

Mako rushes toward Korra, followed by Bolin, who’s still carrying Keiko.

Mako hugs Korra, “I'm so glad you're okay!”

In Bolin’s arms, Keiko stirs, grey eyes open and she looks up at him, “Bo?” 

He shouldn’t but he smiles tenderly at her, he didn’t expect her to return the smile.

She hums softly and lets her head fall on his chest, he rests his cheek on her damp hair, resisting the sudden urge to kiss her head. 

Tenzin approaches Lin, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I can't believe Amon did this. I played right into his hand.” Lin says, feeling ashamed.

“He played us all,” Tenzin says, looking up at the shattered glass.

“Republic City is at war.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Fifteen coming later tonight


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might be wondering if they’ll talk about the kiss and the answer is soon.

Korra rides up to the arena on Naga with Keiko who’s holding onto her waist tightly. They jump off the polar bear dog and duck under the yellow police tape.

In their apartment, Mako puts a red shirt into a box.

“I still can't believe they're shutting this place down.” He says and Bolin sighs.

“Yeah. We had some good memories here, didn't we?”

Korra runs up the stairs, excited, “guys! Great news. You don't have to go back on the streets. I talked to Tenzin and made all the arrangements. You can come live on Air Temple Island with us!”

Mako looks away, unsure how to tell Korra, “Oh, we'd love to, but...”

Bolin cuts in for him, “Asami already invited us to live in her dad's giant mansion! From here on out, it's gonna be the lap of luxury for us.”

Keiko glances at Korra who looks disappointed and so was she...a little.

She smiles anyway, “that’s great, we’re happy you found somewhere to stay!” She looks at Korra, “aren’t we?”

The Avatar forces herself to nod.

Asami comes down the ladder, “oh hey, Korra, Keiko, I was hoping you would stop by.”

Korra sports an irritated look, she wasn’t entirely sure why Korra didn’t like Asami.  
  
Keiko liked her, she was nice.

“We was just leaving.”

Keiko frowns, “we were?”

Korra grabs Keiko’s hand and starts leading her towards the stairs.

“So, I guess I'll see you guys around, some time.” The Avatar says.

“Why not tomorrow? I'd love to have you come visit the estate.”

“I don't know. I have some...Avatar stuff to do—”

Keiko chews the inside of her cheek and smiles at Asami, “we’ll be there,” she announces and Korra glares at her but she brushes it off.

“Great!” Asami says, she looked quite happy, “be sure to bring your swimsuits.”

“Swimsuits, got it, see you then.”

Keiko waves goodbye and leads Korra down the stairs.

“I don’t have a swimsuit,” she says.   


* * *

Keiko flew to Asami's house, alone, she leads Miki over to one of the fruit trees and uses Airbending to knock the fruit off the tree, giving Miki a head rub.

Keiko adjusts the bag on her shoulder while the butler leads her through the house, towards the indoor pool.

The butler escorts Keiko inside, he clears his throat to get the other's attention.

"Keiko Beifong has arrived," he announces and backs away.

"Hey, Keiko!"

"Glad you made it!" Asami smiles at her and she returns it.

Bolin surfaces from the water with his hands out.

"Welcome to paradise!" He puts hands behind his head and floats on his back. Pabu climbs onto his belly.

"Where's Korra?" Mako asked.

"She slept in late, my dad is making her stay behind for meditation, she'll be here later." Keiko says but starts to shifts around nervously, "um...is there somewhere I could..." she locks eyes with Asami who understands.

"There's a ladies powder room upstairs to your right, you can get changed in there."

Keiko nods, "thank you."

She zips from the room, nearly blowing over the poor butler.

She shuts the washroom door and breathes, "this is fine, it'll be fine," she told herself, taking the braid from her hair, it had gotten so long since it was shaved off four years ago, it hit just below her waist.

She closed her eyes but only Bolin in his swimsuit, she knew what he looked like, she had seen his muscles before but somehow it was different this time, she couldn't explain it.

The more she thought about it she started to feel something...strange.

She pressed her legs together and tried to focus on something else, anything else.

But the only thing that came to mind was sweet, kind Bolin who she really liked kissing and who looked like he could snap her in half like a twig and she was slightly okay with it.

Groaning, frustrated with herself, she turned on the tap and splashed her face with cold water.

Keiko gripped the counter she looked at herself in the mirror, "get it together, Keiko."

Standing up straight she unclips her cape and undresses.

The swimsuit she chose was a light blue high waisted two-piece, Keiko didn't really wear blue and the shop didn't have anything else in her size at the moment.

She put it on and adjusts the halter straps, giving herself a look over. 

But the more she looked at it, she wanted to take it off and forget this whole thing.

She didn't, instead, she grabbed her bag and wrapped herself in the towel she brought.

"Hey," Asami calls, "everything okay? You were in there a long time."

Keiko turns around and smiles, "I'm fine, nothing to worry about."

She set her bag down on one of the lounge chairs.

She glances at Bolin and felt warmth spread across her face and the ache returned, Spirits, why was this so hard?

Bolin watched her turn around and unwrap her towel, draping it over her bag.

His eyes widen when he gets a good look at her tattoos, he's only seen her forehead and the back of her hands.   
She grabbed a hair tie from her bag and started to put her hair up in a bun. 

The closest Bolin has ever gotten to see what she looked like was when she didn’t have her cape on, but this was different.   
  
She was lithe and slender, with a slight curve to her waist.

His eyes wandered, following the light blue lines that ran down her body, he was suddenly filled with the urge to climb out of this pool and trace them with his fingers, commit them and her to memory.

Keiko turned around and walked towards the water, she sat down on the edge and stuck her feet in the water.

She yelped and pulled them up, bringing her knees to her chest, "it's cold!"

"It's only cold for a little while, you'll get used to it," Asami assured and she nods, cautiously sticking her legs back in.

Bolin suddenly got out of the pool and walked towards the lion turtle statue.

“Keiko!”

She looked up at him, watching the boy climb onto the statue.

“Wanna see me do a flip?” He asked and Keiko shrugged.

“Sure.”

Bolin nods, he rubs his hands together determined, he wanted to impress her.

"Earthbending bomb!"

Bolin jumps but it’s not a flip, it’s a belly flop, he splashes Mako and Asami in the process.

When he surfaced he felt embarrassment warm his cheeks and the sound of melodious laughter.

He turns to find Keiko covering her mouth with her hands, trying to muffle the giggles.

The humiliation lessened somewhat knowing that he had gotten her to laugh, even if it was at his own expense.

“Psst! Bolin,” Mako whispers and Bolin looked over at his brother who was making a yanking gesture with his hands, “pull her in the pool,” he mouths.

Asami lightly whacks him on the shoulder, looking at her boyfriend disapprovingly.   
The Firebender pouts and looks up at his girlfriend, “what?”

Bolin held his breath and went under the water, following the blue arrow.

Keiko felt something grab her ankle and the next thing she knew, she was being dragged into the water with a shriek.

When she surfaced, she was facing the Earthbender.

Her first response was to splash him, the water made contact with his face and she swam away.

Bolin smirked and returned the splash, Keiko screams and laughs, trying to block the water with her hands.

Mako and Asami watch from the side as they kept splashing each other, laughing and getting water everywhere. 

* * *

When Korra finally arrived it was mid-afternoon.

The butler lead her to the pool, she heard laughing behind the door.

Inside, she found them playing shoulder wars, Keiko was on Mako’s shoulders and Asami was on Bolin’s.

The girl's hands were locked together and they were trying to push the other off.

Korra stood there and watched, but the butler cleared his throat, interrupting the game which distracted Asami, which gave Keiko the opportunity to push her into the water, and she went down, arms flailing.

The Non-bender surfaces, pushing her hair back away from her face.

The room bursts into laughter, the butler clears his throat louder this time, grabbing everyone’s attention.

”Avatar Korra has arrived.”

“Hey, Korra!”

“You made it!”

Korra sits down on a lounge chair by the pool, “seems like you guys are having fun,” she says.

Keiko swims over and rests on the edge of the pool, “how was meditation with my dad?”

Korra frowns, “boring.”

“Well, that’s what you get for sleeping in.”

Korra childishly sticks her tongue out at her, she returns the gesture, laughing and it makes the Avatar smile, she doesn’t remember the last time she saw Keiko have this much fun. 

Bolin gets out of the pool next to Korra with Pabu on his shoulder.

“This is the greatest place in the world! Watch this, watch this.”

He speaks to the butler in a more formal voice. “Fetch me my towel, good sir.”

“Yes, Master...Bolin.” He says reluctantly and a folded up towel and walks toward Bolin.

Pabu climbs onto Bolin's head.

“Master Bolin! Ha, I love this guy.” He spreads his arms out, “now pat me dry.”

“As you wish,” he rolls up the towel and pats down Bolin as he moves to allow him to do that.

“Don't forget Master Pabu.”

“Wouldn't dream of it, sir,” he says, putting the towel over Pabu, who is still sitting on Bolin's head and rubs him dry.

A moment later, Pabu's fur becomes bushy as he squeaks.

As the butler turns around, Bolin jumps into the water again right away, Keiko flinches, some water gets in her eyes and the butler looks annoyed, walking away.

Korra looks to Asami as she swims over to her; somewhat dismayed, “so, what do you have planned for us today? Let me guess, shopping, makeovers?”

Bolin jumps onto Mako, pushing him into the water, raising his hand while speaking in an excited tone. “Ooh, Ooh! I vote makeovers!”

Mako returns the favour and he yelps.

Asami climbs the ladder out of the pool and turns her head to face Korra.

“I had something a little more exciting in mind.”  
  


Later, they’re at a track and two Satomobiles racing each other.

Asami, Korra, Mako, Keiko and Bolin are sitting in the stands.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

Korra watches in amazement. “way cooler than a makeover.”

“This is where Future Industries test-drives their Satomobiles,” Asami explains, “ever been behind the wheel?”

“The only thing I know how to drive is a polar bear dog.” The Avatar admits.

“You want me to take you for a spin?”

“Let's do it!”

“Two Satomobiles stand next to each other. Korra puts on goggles, she is sitting behind Asami.

A man is sitting in the other car.

The race starts as a man in blue waves a white flag in front of the cars.

Asami falls behind first, but smiles and catches up fast as Mako, Keiko and Bolin cheer from the sidelines.

She overtakes the other car, her back wheel grazing the wall.

The man tries to catch up, but his front wheel and Asami's back wheel touch and his car starts swaying.

Asami wins the race, stops the car and both girls get out of the car.

“That was amazing! I didn't think we'd make it!” Korra shouts, heart pumping with adrenaline.

“Well, you can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes.”

I gotta admit, I had you pegged wrong. I thought you were kind of..prissy. Eh-No offence!”

Asami laughs, “it’s all right, people usually assume that I'm daddy's helpless little girl, but I can handle myself. I mean, I've been in self-defence classes since I was this high.” She indicates her height with a hand, holding it next to her waist.

“My dad made sure that I would always be able to protect myself.”

“Smart guy.”


	16. Chapter 16

The group enter mansion and Bolin immediately runs off.

“Emergency, emergency coming through, beep beep!”

“Uh, is there another bathroom I can use?” Korra asks.

“We have a ladies powder room upstairs, first door on your right. You can freshen up in there.”

“Thanks.”

Keiko watches her go up the stairs.   
  


  
in the washroom, Korra is drying her hands.  
She notices and picks up the powder sponge and looks at it intensely, before smashing it onto her face.

A powder cloud covers her and Korra starts choking, she waves it away and leaves the room.   
Out in the hallway, she hears a voice. 

“No, no! No, I assure you, everything is going exactly as planned.”   


Korra looks around and crouches, sneaking silently towards the large wooden doors. 

“Uh-um, yes...luckily, the Cabbage Corp investigation has bought us enough time.”

Bending down, she looks into the room using the keyhole, inside someone is sitting at a desk, back turned. 

It sounds like...but it couldn’t be...

“Trust me, by the end of the week...” the person stands, turning around and Korra sees it is Mr. Sato, “we'll be ready to strike!”

He hangs up and Korra hurries away, she stops by the pool to get Keiko’s things.

Downstairs the butler spraying perfume all over Bolin, Mako, Keiko and Asami standing behind them.

Korra runs past grabbing Keiko’s hand, pulling the girl towards the front door.

Asami looks disappointed, “you’re leaving? But I-I thought...”

Korra turns around, “uh, sorry! I forgot we’re supposed to airsit, I mean babybend, I-I mean babysit the Airbender kids. See you later!”

“What? We don’t have to—ahh!”

Korra pulls Keiko out the door, towards Miki and Naga.   


  
It’s nighttime when they meet up with Lin and Tenzin at police headquarters.   
  
Seeing her mother still hurts, Keiko wasn’t ready to see her, but if what Korra said is true, she had to push through it. 

“So, you think Mr. Sato manufactured those gloves for the Equalists then framed Cabbage Corp?” Tenzin asks.

Lin crosses her arms, “That's a bold accusation, but what proof do you have?”

“Well, I don't exactly have proof, but I know what I heard. Sato's up to something.” Korra insists and Lin thinks on it. 

“He does have the means...and he has a motive.”

“That's right.”

Keiko looks up at her mother, curiously, “a motive?”

“Twelve years ago, the Agni Kai Triad robbed Sato's mansion. A firebender killed Sato's wife during the break-in.”

“That's awful.”

“It was tragic,” Tenzin agrees, “it’s possible that he's been harbouring anti-bending sentiment all this time.”

“Maybe we should look at Mr. Sato a little more closely.”   


* * *

They visit the Sato estate in the morning.

Lin rings the doorbell and the butler opens the door, looking surprised to see them.

He lets the group in, Keiko stays close to Korra while her father and mother go upstairs.

They stay close behind but are stopped by Mako and Asami.

“What's going on? Why are they asking Hiroshi more questions?” Mako asks and Korra explains.

“I overheard him on the phone yesterday. Asami, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think your father might be involved with the Equalists.”

Asami shouts, incredulous, “what? I don't believe this.” She turns around and walks right back upstairs.

“You spied on Hiroshi? What's your problem?”

Korra took a step forward when Mako turned around and followed his girlfriend.

The Avatar sighs and Keiko puts a hand on her shoulder, “c’mon.”

Inside Hiroshi Sato's office, Lin and Tenzin stand in front of Hiroshi's desk.

“Mr. Sato, we just have a few follow-up questions for you.”

Asami opens the door and walks in, “my father is innocent. Just because we're not benders doesn't mean we support those awful Equalists.”

Mako, Keiko and Korra follow her inside.

“Equalists?”  
  
Asami stands next to him.

“Is that what this is about? I can assure you I have nothing to do with those radicals,” he assures and Mako turns to Korra.

“Yeah, you don't know what you're talking about, Korra.”

Korra points to Hiroshi Sato, “I overheard you on the phone. You said the Cabbage Corp investigation bought you time, and you're getting ready to strike. Explain that!” She demands and the man laughs, holding up his hands.

“This is all just a misunderstanding, resulting from the young Avatar's overactive imagination. My number one competitor was knocked out of the game. It's providing me with an opportunity to strike the market with a new line of Satomobiles.”

Lin averts her eyes but Keiko narrows her’s, he was a good liar, she’ll give him that.

But he was lying.

There was sweat beading at his hairline and his eyes kept darting to the left, towards the second office door. 

“It's just business. Nothing nefarious.”

Lin and Tenzin glance at each other.

“In order to put all suspicions to rest, might we have a look into your factories and warehouses?” Tenzin asks, Asami sighs in annoyance, Hiroshi Sato raises his hand to stop her from speaking.

“If you feel it's necessary, you're welcome to search all of Future Industries.”

Upon leaving the office, Keiko wedges herself between her parents, “he’s lying, I’m sure of it” she whispers and her mother glowers.

* * *

Korra stood beside Naga as she sniffed boxes. Lin breaks open a box to see the contents, along with her Metalbender cops. 

They searched every nook and cranny but didn't find a thing that could tie Hiroshi Sato to the Equalists. 

Keiko stands with her parents outside the factory, watching the officers be lifted into an airship.

Korra rides in on Naga, and jumps down to approach them.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything."

"It would appear Hiroshi is innocent," she places a hand on Keiko's shoulder and she rolls it off, Lin tries to mask the hurt that crosses her face.

"I was wrong, Mr. Sato was telling the truth after all."

Asami approaches with Mako, annoyed.

"Okay, you did your search. Now you can all leave."

"I'm really sorry about this, Asami," Keiko apologizes.

Mako signals to Korra, and they move away to have a private conversation.

"So, I hope you're convinced now."

"No, I'm not! I don't care how cooperative Hiroshi is being, I know he's lying."

Mako sighs, irritated, "why are you doing this? Are you that jealous of me and Asami?"

Korra gasps, "what?" She shook her head, "don't be ridiculous! That has nothing to do with it!"

"If you don't drop this, consider our friendship over," Mako threatens, glaring at the young Avatar.

"I'm sorry. Hiroshi is not the man you think he is."

Mako walks away to Asami, he wraps one arm around her shoulder and leaves as Korra sighs and turns away.

A worker slides the factory's door shut and turns to see Korra, who turns and walks back to the group.

Keiko stops scratching Naga behind the ears and looks at Korra's downcast face.

"Hey, everything okay?"

The Avatar nods, "everything is fine," she lies.

The worker places a note in Korra's hand as he walks past her.

Korra, startled, looks around to see who handed her the note, to no avail.

She opens the note and reads it. Looking at it with surprise, she turns to Keiko and her parents.   


"I think you guys should hear this. ‘If you want to find the truth, meet me under the north end of the Silk Road Bridge at midnight’.”

They arrived on time, walking to the north end of the bridge.

“Psst!”

Korra, Keiko, Lin and Tenzin turn their heads.

“Over here.”

The warehouse worker comes out from hiding behind the support.

“Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in what Amon said. I thought he could make life better for us nonbenders. But I didn't sign up for this...war.”

Curious, Lin asks, “what do you have on Hiroshi Sato?”

“He manufactured those gloves for the Equalists.”

Korra punches the air, “I knew it!”

The worker lifts up the collar of his coat to hide his face.

“And there are rumours he's working on something even bigger. Some new kind of weapon.”

Tenzin blinks, confused, “we searched all of Future Industries and found nothing.”

“That's because he has a secret factory.”

“Where?” Keiko asks, tilting her head up.

“It's right underneath the Sato Mansion.”

Korra, Keiko, Lin and Tenzin gasp and look at him in shock.

They take one of the airships.

“Raiding the Sato Mansion is a risky move with Tarrlok breathing down your neck. If we're wrong...”

Lin sighs, “I know. I can kiss my job goodbye. But protecting Republic City is all I care about. We can't let Amon get his hands on this new weapon.”

Inside the mansion, Asami sitting down in the living room, Bolin is eating from the bowl of fruit while Mako takes out a record from the cover and shows it to Asami. 

The Metalbender cops burst into the living room, causing Bolin to raise his arms in fear, Keiko follows Korra and her parents inside.

“What are you doing here?” Asami yells, surprised and angry.

“We have a reason to believe that there's a factory hidden below the mansion.”

Asami narrows her eyes, “I think I would've noticed if there were a factory underneath my house. The lies you people come up with just to persecute my father.”

“Where is your father?” Tenzin asks.

“In his workshop, behind the house.”

Outside of Hiroshi's workshop, Metalbender cops guard the area as they all walk toward the place.

They burst into the workshop to find no one in the room.

“Dad? Hello?” Asami calls.

“Chief, the estate's been secured. No one has left the workshop since we arrived.” One of the officers informed.

“Perhaps we just couldn't see him leaving.”

Lin walks into the middle of the room with her hands behind her back. 

She raises her leg and Metalbends her left sole, removing it to expose her bare foot to use seismic sense.

“There's a tunnel beneath the workshop running deep into the mountainside.”

Asami blinks in disbelief, “what? There's no tunnel.”

Lin looks at the floor and Metalbends to remove the false floor, exposing the stairs and an elevator going down as they walk toward it.

Bolin whispers to Asami, “do you think your dad knows about this tunnel?”

Asami was confused, “I don't understand. There must be an explanation.”

Keiko looks at her with sympathy, “maybe you don't know everything about your father, I'm sorry.”

“Officers, into the tunnel. Be cautious.”

Her officers walk toward the stairs. Mako, Bolin and Asami start walking toward it until they are stopped by Lin.

“Uh-uh, you three stay up here. Officer Song, keep an eye on them.”

Song salutes her as Mako, Bolin and Asami look at the group.

They start walking down, Keiko turns her head and looks at the three in sadness, she turns back and takes Korra’s hand.

The elevator takes the group down until it stops and they cautiously walk into a massive room that has posters of Amon hanging up, looking down at them almost menacingly.   
  
There are large robotic machines lined up on both sides.

“Not your average backyard workshop,” Lin says, placing her hands on her hips.

Korra looks at the large robotic machines.

“And I'm guessing those are the new weapons.”

“Hiroshi was lying all right, but where is he?”

Suddenly, a metal wall shoots up to block the entrance with a loud bang and the room goes dark.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to go back and watch the mecha tank fight 5 times for this because I couldn’t remember what happened. 
> 
> I’m also in my middle of my 3rd rewatch of season 2.

“What was that?” Bolin asked after hearing the loud noise.

“We need to get down there and see what's going on.”

“Absolutely not. You're staying put until the chief comes back,” Song says, firm and strict.  
Bolin and Mako look at each other, hatching a plan.

“All right, we'll stay put. But could we wait outside or something? It's so dusty in this workshop,” Mako asks the officer, rubbing his nose.

“No! We're waiting right here!”

“Okay, but don't blame me if I start sne-if I start sn-sn-sneez-”

“What's your problem, bub?”

“I'm about to-” Song approaches him and Mako Firebends his sneeze, causing Song to move back and trip over by Bolin's Earthbent rock.

Bolin jumps on him and they tie him up to a barrel as he struggles.

“Sorry pal, we know you were just doing your job,” Mako apologizes.

“Yeah, just stay put until the chief comes back. That sounds very familiar doesn't it, why? Because you said it.”

The three walk toward the stairs, but Mako stops Asami by putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Asami, you should stay here. We'll check it out.”

Asami looks at Mako, determined, “I have to find out the truth about my father.”

“I understand. That's why I'm going down, to find out for you. Please.”

Asami flashes Mako a look of disappointment, “alright.”

As the brothers walk down the stairs, Asami says to Mako, “be careful.”

Asami clasps her hands together tightly as she looks down with uncertainty.

  
Meanwhile down in the factory, Lin tries the bend the seemingly metal wall, but to no avail.

“I'm afraid you won't be able to Metalbend that wall, Chief Beifong,” Hiroshi Sato’s voice echos.

Green lights flash on around them, Keiko shields her face with her arms, squinting at the glare. 

“It's solid platinum,” he continues and the machines come to life, rolling towards them.

“My mecha tanks are platinum as well, not even your renowned mother could bend a metal so pure.”

Korra angrily points up towards him, “Hiroshi, I knew you were a lying, no good Equalist! Come out here and-“

“And do what, young Avatar? Face the wrath of your bending? No. I think I'll fight from inside here where my odds are a little more...equal.”

“That source was a set-up! You lured us down here!”

The mecha tanks have them cornered.

“Guilty as charged.”   
  
Hiroshi Sato shoots a grappler to catch one of them but they leap out of the way.   


A second tank goes after the officers, but they dodge, shooting cables to wrap around the machines arms, trying to hold it down.

The others try to hold off a third tank.   


Lin runs forward, dodging the grappler and Earthbends herself up into the air.

She bends the armour covering her wrist into long, sharp spikes and lands onto the head of the mecha tank. 

She breaks the glass, missing the Equalist inside who dodges. 

Lin keeps stabbing, making the machine move backward and fall over.

While Lin attacks the mecha tank, Hiroshi Sato moves his own forward as Korra Firebends to no effect.

Tenzin Airbends Hiroshi Sato back and Korra as looks over her shoulder at the unexpected help.

While he Airbends, the cops have a difficult time holding the other mecha tanks down, their cable spools starting to spark and overheat with the effort.

As they are pulled forward by the tank, they raise the Earth with their bending in an attempt to find more foothold to withstand the pull.

The mecha tanks wrap the cables around the arms of the officers and conduct electricity, electrocuting the officers until they lose consciousness and release their grip.

Keiko has her own tank to deal with, in her usual style: avoid and evade.

She wasn’t much of a fighter, only using her Airbending offensively if she hasn’t another choice.

She jumps onto the window of the tank, looking down at the Equalist inside.   
  
Keiko flips off the machine a little dramatically and it turns around, shooting a grapple from it’s arm.

Keiko salto’s sideways and lands silently, ducking underneath the machines legs. 

Lin attempts to deliver another blow, but is grabbed from behind with a grappler, knocking her forward and against a metal support beam.

She is flung across the room and lands hard on the ground, unconscious. 

“Mom!” Keiko rushes forward but is blocked by the tank, it reaches for her and she flips away, using the air to elevate herself way above the machine.  
  
She kicks twice, sending two arc’s of air towards the tanks glass windows, shattering them, knocking the large machine to the ground.

Landing on her feet she flips over the tank, towards her mother.

Tenzin and Korra help each other as they use their Airbending and Firebending to push Hiroshi Sato's mecha tank into the corner.

Furious, Hiroshi Sato growls and shoots a grappler in Korra's direction.

Korra repeatedly back flips to avoid the attack.

Having moved out of the path of the weapon, she Earthbends a rock out of the ground and launches it at Hiroshi.

At that moment, Korra is grabbed and shoved forward by another mecha tank's grappling hook.

It knocks her unconscious by slamming her against a large metal pipe.

”Korra!”

Tenzin uses his Airbending to cushion Korra's fall, who grunts as she connects with the floor.

He looks around, other than himself, Keiko was the only one left, but she was a bit preoccupied, using her bending to keep two tanks away.

Tenzin turns his attention back to Hiroshi Sato and an Equalist using an air wheel to evade their attacks.

He jumps up, but Hiroshi Sato shoots bolas combined with an electric disk.

Tenzin is ensnared with it and grunts in pain as he is electrocuted.

He roughly lands on the ground, unconscious.

The remaining tanks circle around Keiko who studies her surroundings, she knew she couldn’t take them all on her own.

So she surrendered. 

Hiroshi Sato exits his mecha tank and climbs down.

The man Keiko recognizes as Amon’s Lieutenant comes out of the shadows, he takes a bola from his pocket and uses it to restrain Keiko’s arms to her side.

“Well, I'd say that was a near-flawless test run,” Hiroshi Sato says, he points to the others who still remain unconscious on the ground.

“Load everyone into the transports and deliver them to Amon!”  
  


A hole is Earthbent from the ground, and Bolin pops up from underneath along with Mako.

They look around until they notice with horror the Metalbender’s being dragged into the trucks.

“Oh no.”

“Korra was right. We gotta do something, quick!”

Bolin and Mako sneak around the factory, getting closer to Tenzin, Lin, Korra and Keiko, who is still conscious and sat on the cold floor.

Her face lights up when she sees him, “Bolin!”

Wiggling around she gets her arms free from her bindings and stands up, pushing the rope down like one would a pair of pants.

The Airbender rushes forward and wraps her arms around the Earthbender who freezes, cheeks burning.

The shock wears off quickly and he hugs her back.

“Y’know, that’s nice and all,” Mako says, hoisting Korra onto his back, “but now is not the time.”

Keiko blushes and lets go of the Earthbender.

Bolin loads Tenzin onto his back after untying the bola wrapped around him.

They are about to grab Lin to drag her away as well but are spotted by Hiroshi Sato and the Lieutenant.

“Not so fast,” he says, electricity crackling from his gloves.

The brothers drop Lin’s arms and Keiko sucks in a breath through her teeth.

Bolin uses Tenzin's arms to express his surprise, “hello, Mr. Sato. Wow! What a really swell, scary factory you have here under your giant mansion.”

“Bolin, please don’t use my dad as a puppet.”

“Sorry.”

Mako glares angrily at Hiroshi Sato, “sponsoring our team, supporting the Avatar, it was all just a big cover.”

“Yes, and the most difficult part was watching my daughter galavant around with a firebending street rat like you!” He and the Lieutenant approach them.

“Dad, stop!”

Hiroshi turns around in surprise, Asami closes her eyes and turns her head away before looking back at her father in sadness.

“Why?”

Hiroshi Sato looked ashamed, “sweetie, I wanted to keep you out of this as long as I could.”

Korra regains consciousness, still on Mako’s back.

“But now you know the truth, please, forgive me. These people,” he points towards the group, “these benders. They took away your mother, the love of my life. They've ruined the world, but with Amon, we can fix it and build a perfect world together. We can help people like us, everywhere!”

He removes one of his gloves and offers it to Asami.

“Join me, Asami.”

Asami looks at her father with uncertainty, but she hesitatingly steps toward him.

She looks at the glove with fear, trembling as she reaches for it.

Keiko, Bolin, Mako and Korra look at her in sadness as she grabs the glove off her father, slipping her hand into the glove.

“No..”

Asami closes her eyes, “I love you, Dad.”

She electrocutes her father until he loses consciousness, revealing it was a ruse.

The Lieutenant attacks her, but she uses self-defence techniques to defeat him with his own electrified kali stick.

Mako and Korra are stunned at the fact that she took them down so easily by herself.

Lin regains consciousness as the mecha tanks notice them.

“Let's get out of here!”

Keiko helps her mother to her feet and they all run to the large hole Mako and Bolin came in from.

Right before the mecha tanks attempt to capture them, Bolin earthbends the hole shut.

Safe in the airship they fly away from the Sato mansion.

Asami looks down at her former home in dismay.

Lin is lying down with Tenzin and Keiko at her side.

“My Metalbender’s are on their way to Amon, and it's all my fault. Tarrlok's right, I've failed as chief. First thing in the morning, I'm handing in my resignation.”

“No! You can't give up like this!” Tenzin says, adamant. 

Lin struggles to sit up, Keiko helps her the rest of the way.

“I'm not giving up. I'm gonna find my officers and take Amon down. But I'm gonna do it my way, outside the law.”

Tenzin looks at her with concern.

Mako approaches Korra, apologetically, “I'm sorry I didn't believe you. But Asami's dad being an Equalist is not an easy thing to believe. Even now.”

“I know. I'm sorry this whole thing happened.”

Mako looks down at his shoes, “so...does your offer to live at the Air Temple still stand?”

Korra smiles, “of course it does and Asami's welcome, too.”

“Thank you, so much.”

Korra places her hand on Mako's shoulder. “After everything she's been through, she's going to need you, Mako.”

Mako nods his head and walks toward Asami to comfort her.

Korra looks at them in sadness before turning away as the airship flies above the city. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s so hot where I am right now I hate it, it makes writing difficult.

A ferry is sailing toward Air Temple Island.

Bolin leans slightly over the railing with Pabu perched on his shoulder. He looks toward the island with an excited look upon his face.

Mako and Asami, her arm wrapped around him, are standing behind Bolin, watching the island as well.

The ferry pulls up to port, Korra, Keiko and the children are there to greet them.   
  
Ikki jumps around excitedly, “you’re finally here!” 

One of the acolytes throws the anchor in the water while two others let down the ramp to allow the passengers to get off the boat. “Welcooome to Air Temple Island. Your new home!”

Meelo points to himself, “yes, welcome to my domain!”

Bolin is carrying his duffel bag over his right shoulder, and Mako and Asami descend the ramp behind him.

“Well, aren't you sweet, little monk child.”

Pabu jumps down from Bolin's shoulder and runs in between Meelo's legs, the child bends over and looks through his legs at Pabu, he straightens and points, “what’s that fuzzy creature?”

Pabu and Naga sniff each other's nose, the ferret stands on his hind legs and gently touches Naga's nose with his left front paw.

“That is a fire ferret, an arboreal mammal common to the bamboo forest of the central Earth Kingdom,” Jinora explains.

Ikki gasps in delight and squees loudly, “he’s cuuuute!”

Ikki runs toward Pabu.

Meelo Airbends upward while an irritated Jinora plugs her ears to silence Ikki's shrieks.

Pabu hisses at Ikki and runs under Naga.

The girl follows, giggling with joy.

Meelo descends down to jump on Naga's head, grabbing and pulling the polar bear dog's ears, “fly sky bison! Fly!”

Naga doesn’t react to Meelo's antics and Ikki continues to chase Pabu around the dock and Bolin looks at Keiko who stares at her youngest siblings with tired eyes.

He watches her walk towards the children, “Meelo, c’mon that’s enough, let Naga go.”

She picks the child off the dog and holds him like a young child would a stuffed platypus bear.

Meelo laughs and nimbly tosses himself up into the air and onto Keiko’s shoulders.

Mako approaches Keiko, who winces when Meelo tugs at her braid, “thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move.”

Asami agrees, “yes, they've been amazing. Such tireless workers.”

Keiko peers behind the Firebender towards the boat where two acolytes were carrying several trunks of luggage.

Keiko blinks in surprise, “I thought you told Korra you were only bringing a few things.”

“Trust me, it could've been worse,” Mako says.

“It’s no problem,” Korra says, “everyone here wants you guys to feel welcome.”

Keiko smiles, “come, lets get you three settled in.”  
  


Naga playfully chases Pabu around as the group strolls behind them and walks toward the temple.

Ikki runs around with her hands outstretched as she sings and hums gleefully.

Asami looks at Meelo with confusion as he grins at her.

“You're pretty, can I have some of your hair?” Meelo asks, holding out his hand.

“Looks like I have some competition,” Mako jokingly says.

Ikki stops and stands in front of them, “and now for the grand tour!”

She speaks quickly as she points at each area. “The flying bison sleep in those caves down there.” She turns, “and that's the temple Grandpa Aang built. And that's the greenhouse where we grow the vegetables we eat.”

She turns around to grin at them.

Bolin raises his hand, “I have a couple of questions.”

Ikki stops smiling and looks at him as he tries to mimic her quick talk.

“Is this an all-vegetarian island? Is that where you train airbending?” He grabs at his shirt, “do we have to wear Air Acolyte clothes? Do we each get our own sky bison? And final question, how many trees are on this island?”

Ikki thinks and answers quickly with her hands behind her back while rocking back and forth slightly.

“Yes, yes, no, no, ten thousand five hundred and fifty-two.”

Asami, Bolin and Mako Long blink at Ikki in surprise.

Keiko chuckles and lets go of Meelo’s left ankle to pat Ikki on the head, “don’t worry, I’ll give you an actual tour later.”

“So, where are we going to be staying?” Mako asks and Meelo explains.

“You're a boy, boys have to stay on the boys' side.”

Keiko smiles, “Meelo and I will take you to the men’s dormitory. Ikki why don’t you go with Korra and Jinora.”

The girls nod and Meelo waves goodbye to Asami, “we shall meet again soon, beautiful woman.”

On the way to the dormitory, Meelo notices Bolin staring at Keiko with lovey-dovey goo-goo eyes that he absolutely did not like and would not stand for. 

The Earthbender feels someone staring at him and looks up, eyes widening in surprise to find the child glaring daggers at him with his arms wrapped around Keiko’s head possessively.

He looked like he wanted to feed him to the bison and if Bolin was honest it was kind of terrifying.   


Keiko leads them down the hallway and opens the sliding doors on the left, “Mako this is your room, Bolin your room is on the right side, two doors down. I know this is a step down from the Sato mansion but-“

“It’s more than fine, Keiko, thank you.”

The Airbender smiles and starts to walk away, “you’re welcome, I’ll give you two some time to settle in, if you need me we’ll be in the meditation pavilion.”  


”Do we have too?” Meelo pouts. 

”Yes, Meelo.”

Bolin watches her walk away with Meelo who turns back and glares at him.

He leans into Mako, “I don’t think he likes me very much.”   
  


At dinner, Bolin went to sit beside Keiko but found himself being pushed out of the way by a gust of air.

When he recovers he met Meelo’s glaring eyes, “no! That’s my sister!” The child stomps his foot, “go find your own!”

Everyone in the room freezes and stares at Meelo in shock, he’s never acted like this before.  


”Meelo!” Tenzin scolds but Keiko holds her hand up.

”It’s alright, dad.”

Keiko sighs and reaches for Meelo, “that’s enough Meelo, come here, leave Bolin alone.”

Bolin sighs and hangs his head, he sits beside his brother.

Meelo takes Keiko’s hand and sits down, wasting no time to curl up in her cape and hugs her middle, glaring at Bolin from across the table. 

”Now, apologize.”

”No!” The boy shouts, defiant.

Keiko leans down and whispers, “if you apologize to Bolin, I’ll sneak you an extra fruit pie.”

The offer was too tempting for Meelo to refuse so he gives in with a pout, “I’m sorry, Bolin.”

”Apology accepted.”

* * *

Korra missed dinner, she wasn’t in her room. Keiko had thought she’d just gone into the city but Naga was here so she was still on the island.

The Airbender and her friends formed a search party for the missing Avatar.

Korra was sitting on the ledge on Air Temple Island, staring at the statue of Aang on Memorial Island, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Korra? You out here?”

Korra turns her head toward the voice and wipes away her tears as Pabu comes out from the bushes, his head peeks out and chirps, the ferret climbs onto Korra’s shoulder.

“Korraaa!”

The ferret gets off her shoulder and sits on her knee, licking away her tears.

Bolin, Asami, Keiko and Mako find her, Pabu runs back to Bolin and climbs up onto his shoulder.

“There you are, are you okay?” Bolin asks, worried.

Korra shrugs, trying to make it seem like nothing was wrong, “I'm fine.”

“Come on, what's wrong? You can tell us,” Mako says, Keiko knelt down beside Korra and put a hand on her shoulder, which prompted the Avatar to launch herself into her arms.

Keiko tightens her arms around her friend, “it’s okay, tell us what’s wrong.”

Korra let’s her go, “how am I suppose to save this city when I can't even learn Airbending?” She looks away, “I'm the worst Avatar ever! I just feel...alone.”

“No, that's nonsense! You're amazing!”

Mako nods to Asami in agreement, “yeah and remember, Aang hadn't mastered all the elements when he was battling the Fire Nation. He was just a little kid.”

“And he wasn't alone. He had his friends to help him. Look, the arena might be shut down but we're still a team. The new Team Avatar!”

“We got your back Korra, and we can save this city.”

Asami, Bolin and Mako place their hands on each other, “together.”

Keiko stands and helps Korra up who is encouraged by the support of her friends, “yeah, let's do it!”

She and Keiko place their hands on top of Mako’s, but suddenly Meelo Airbends down, farting on top of their hands, the group's eyes widen in shock and disgust but Keiko doesn’t react, this was normal for her.

“Yeah, let's do it!” Meelo repeats Korra’s words, “what are we doing?

The team laughs while Meelo grins, goofily.

Keiko picks him up and he flails but she secures her hold on him, “you, my little hellion, are going to bed.”

”Awwww, but I don’t wanna!”

”Tough,” Keiko says and starts to walk off, “I’ll meet you at the gate in an hour.”

Bolin sighs, besotted, “she’s so good with kids, isn’t she?” He watches her disappear towards the direction of the boys dormitory.

Mako places a hand on his shoulder, “c’mon lover boy, let’s go wait for your girlfriend at the gate,” she says in almost a teasing tone.

Bolin hung his head, “she’s not my girlfriend,” he pouts, “I mean, I want her to be but she’s...” he tries to think of what to say but he can only groan in frustration, “why doesn’t she like me?” He turns to Korra, looking at her with pleading eyes. 

Korra snorts, “of course she likes you,” she assures the Earthbender.

”Then how come on our date she ran away after I kissed her?”

Korra sighs, “Keiko is...complicated,” she decides, it wasn’t her place to tell Bolin about her issues around love, that was for Keiko to tell.

“But,” she continued, “I’ve seen the way she looks at you, she does really like you Bolin, you just need to give her time.” 

The Earthbender nods, “time...got it,” he says still looking a little downcast and they start walking.

Mako stops, “wait...you kissed Keiko? And you didn’t tell me?”

They don’t stop walking.

”Bo!”

* * *

They gathered at the temple gate an hour later. “Get ready, Republic City,” Bolin says in a deep, dramatic voice. 

Korra leads Naga next to Bolin and Mako stands on the other side.

“You are about to be patrolled by Team Avatar.”

Asami approaches the team wielding an electrified glove.

“Asami, you always know how to accessorize your outfits.”

“I figure one way to fight Equalists is to use an Equalist weapon.”

Korra punches the palm of her hand, “alright, let’s ride.”

Keiko climbs onto Naga after Korra, followed by Asami and Bolin.

Bolin jumps on, “Naga away!”

Naga bends down, causing the New Team Avatar to slide off her and fall on top of each other.

Naga growls and shakes her head.

Korra, feeling embarrassed, stands up and rubs the back of her head. She narrows her eyes in dismay as they look to the side.

“Alright, scratch that, any other ideas?”

Mako turns to Keiko, “what about Miki?”

She shakes her head, “Miki isn’t strong enough to carry all of us, she had a hard time after when we rescued Bolin.”

Asami hums and comes up with something, “I think I have the answer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m also trying to put together a playlist for this fic, for no other reason except for I like making playlists.   
> I have a few songs on it currently but it’s a little hard since I have over 3,500 songs on Spotify.
> 
> I can say ‘Fallingforyou’ by the 1975 is on the list since I mentioned it a few chapters ago


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing a certain scene that takes place after the car chase, I was listening to “Whale Song” by Corey Kilgannon.
> 
> It doesn’t really have anything to do with the chapter, I just like the song.

Asami opens the garage from the inside, she revs the engine and the headlights shine on Team Avatar.

She drives out of the garage and swerves, putting the car in park.

“You think this'll do?”

Each of them nod and jump in the car, Mako takes the passenger seat and Korra made Keiko sit between her and Bolin.

“I like the new Team Avatar’s style,” Mako says, impressed.

Asami changes gears and they drive off to patrol the city.

For a moment Keiko thought Bolin was going to wrap his arm on her shoulder, but he merely rests it on the top of the seat.

Korra notices and slyly bends a small piece of the road, creating a pothole, the car jolts and Bolin’s arm slips down and onto Keiko’s shoulder.

She did tell Bolin to give Keiko time, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t give her a little nudge in the right direction.

Keiko’s heart races in her chest, her cheeks are rosy and she suddenly feels the urge to lean into him but fights against herself, a fight she ends up losing.

She leans back, wedging herself into his side.

Bolin silently thanks the universe and the Avatar smiles, proud of herself.

The radio crackles to life.

“Unit two sixteen, cancel that ten fifty-eight at Harmony Tower. Come back to the station, over.”

“My dad had police scanners installed in all of his cars,” Asami explains, “I guess now I know why.”

“Calling all units, Level Four Alert. Jailbreak at headquarters. Officers down, electrocuted. Chi blockers and Equalist convicts are still at large armed and dangerous.”

The team looks at the radio with intent.

“Last seen heading east. I repeat, Level Four Alert. Equalist jailbreak!”

Asami stops the car as a truck and several Equalist motorcyclists rush through the traffic.

Asami stops the car as a truck and several Equalist motorcyclists rush through the traffic.

"Chi blockers!" Bolin shouts and moves away from Keiko, who is secretly disappointed, already missing the weight of his arm.

Asami switches gears and begins the chase.

Cars swerve and stop from crashing into the truck as it plows through the street.

Asami dodges the cars and still tails the chi blockers but a massive truck blocks their way.

"Korra, Bolin! Give me a ramp, now!"

Korra and Bolin earthbend a massive ramp that sends the car soaring.

Keiko bends the air to keep the car from crashing headfirst.

The chase resumes.

Mako uses lightning and strikes one of the motorcycles, making the chi blocker fall to the ground.

Bolin bends the road, sending sharp pieces of Earth hurling towards the wheel of another motorcycle, it's driver loses control and crashes.

Asami narrowly misses the fallen cyclist.

Without warning the remaining chi blockers set up a smokescreen in an attempt to throw them off.

Not being able to see, Asami puts on her goggles and catches the chi blockers turning right.

"Help me out! We gotta make this turn!"

Korra and Bolin Earthbend a giant, angled curve, making the car drive up before landing back onto the street.

"They don't know we made the turn. Okay, get ready."

Asami switches gears and the car gains speed to ram the motorcyclists, flinging them into the air before landing on top of the bonnet.

Mako firebends but his arm is wrapped up by a bola.

Mako uses his other arm, but it is also restrained.

The other Equalist jumps in front of Bolin and chi blocks his arm before he can even attack, making him fall back into his seat, yelling in pain.

Keiko tries to swat at the chi blocker with Airbending, something she normally wouldn’t do.

But the chi blocker gets her too and she falls back into Bolin.

Asami electrocutes the chi blocker with her glove, causing the Equalist to fall onto the back seat.

The Equalist on the hood of the car attempts to pull Mako from his seat but Korra grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him down. The Equalist falls over the car and Asami electrocutes him unconscious.

Mako chucks the unconscious Equalist to the back and Asami drives the car closer to the truck.

Mako has a clear shot and he takes it, using lightning to knock the driver unconscious.

The truck swerves and tumbles to the side, knocking over the lamppost.

Korra and Mako use the Equalist’s bola against them, tying them up and putting them in a row. 

It took a while for the reporters to show up, they start taking photos.

Two police cars come speeding down the road.

Korra smiles at Tarrlok when he approaches her.

“Avatar Korra, what do you think you are doing?”

“Oh, hey Tarrlok. Nice of you to show up finally. Here, we captured the escaped convicts for you,” she mocks which angers the Councilman.

“What you did was tear up the city and impede the real authorities in their pursuit of these criminals.”

“Hmm, that's funny.” She crosses her arms, “I didn't see your little task force or the cops the whole time. If it wasn't for Team Avatar, they would've gotten away.”

Tarrlok points at her in fury, “this is your last warning. Stay out of my way!”

He turns back and drives away while Team Avatar smiles in victory.

* * *

Keiko wakes in the middle of the night, screaming.

She sits up in her bed and tries to regain control of her shaky hands.

This was the second nightmare she had about Amon.

The first time she woke up before he could take her bending, but this time...Spirits, it felt so real.

Her chin wobbled and tears stung her eyes, taking a large heaving breath.

She wipes her eyes with the cuff of her yellow pyjamas and gets out of bed on shaky legs.

She didn’t want to be alone right now.

Keiko could crawl into bed with Korra but she ends up putting on her slippers and sneaking out, making her way to the boy's dormitory.

Remembering which door was Bolin’s she slid them open and slipped inside.

He had his window open, filling the room with the cool night air.

He was sound asleep in his bed, on his back with one leg bent and one arm covered his eyes as he snored.

It wasn’t loud, but a quiet rumble in his chest and she found it endearing.

But suddenly she blinks, what was she doing? She shouldn’t be in here, she should go, this was a mistake.

Keiko turned to leave but hears another door open and footsteps on the hardwood floor.

Monkey Feathers.

She sighs and looks back at Bolin, the ache was back and she blinked the tears away, she didn’t want to be alone.

Chewing on the inside of her cheek she pads forward and climbs into bed with him, she snuggles close and places her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat beat.

She feels him shift under her, his arms move to wrap around her and he rests his cheek on her head, Keiko froze, afraid he had woken and she would be caught, but he still snored.

Letting herself breathe she closed her eyes.  
  


Daylight filled the small room and although Bolin was awake, he swore he was still asleep, this had to be a dream.

He opens one eye and looks down, staring at a mess of long, brown hair.

Keiko was in his room and she was in his bed.

She was in his room...and she was in his bed.

He could hardly believe it.

And he knows he should wake her up, but when would he ever get another chance at this?

This could very well be a once in a lifetime thing.  


To just hold her.

Tentatively he tucks her hair behind her ear and looks down at her face, she was beautiful, even in sleep.

He runs his knuckles down her back and she smiled a little in sleep, snuggling closer.

His heart swells and he keeps at it until he falls back asleep himself.   
  


They were both startled awake when the door is opened, “bro! Wake...what’s going on here?”

Bolin could hear the smirk in Mako’s voice and

Keiko scrambles out of his bed, hopping out the window, mortified she was caught.

Bolin turns away from the window and looks at Mako, pleading, “please don’t tell Tenzin.”   


* * *

Before they began their patrol, the team stops for dumplings.

Korra and Asami notice how awkward Bolin and Keiko are being.

They haven’t spoken a word, bashful around each other.

“Psst, Mako,” Korra calls over, “what's going on with them?”

Mako glances towards the awkward pair, being awkward and pulled the girls closer.

“I caught Keiko and Bolin in bed together this morning.”

Korra’s eyes widen in surprise, “what?” She almost shouts and Mako shushes her.

Asami is just shocked, honestly.

“Were they...y’know?” Korra asks making vague gestures with her hands and Mako shook his head, “what? No, they were just sleeping.”

Korra glances at Keiko who’s rolling one of her vegetable dumplings around, she ends up giving one to Pabu.

The radio suddenly starts buzzing.

“All available units, please respond to the fifty-six hundred block of Dragon Flats borough. Equalists have taken to the streets, consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution.”

Team Avatar tosses their dinner and moves into the car, Bolin jumps beside Asami, “I call front!”

Mako lets Korra in first, “after you.”

The Avatar slips in beside Keiko, “what a gentleman.”

Asami drives them to Dragon Flats borough, where police airships are circling around an area plunged in darkness.

“Why is the power out?” Korra asks.

The car swerves around the corner and stops. Asami takes off her goggles as they look at hundreds of nonbenders protesting at the Metalbending police officers who are holding them behind a blockade.

“Wait a second, these people aren't armed or dangerous.”

“Sure doesn't look that way,” Korra says, just as confused.

They turn to see Saikhan speaking through a microphone.

“All nonbenders, return to your homes immediately.”

“Yeah, as soon as you turn our power back on!”

Cries of protests in agreement began to stir.

“Disperse, or you will all be arrested.”

A woman holding a young child shouts, “you benders can't treat us this way!”

Her oldest tugs on her skirt, “Mommy, look! It's the Avatar!”

People turn around and rush toward Korra.

“Please, help us! You're our Avatar, too!”

Korra looks at the people in sadness, she strides forward, pushing two metalbender officers aside.

“Everyone, please stay calm. I'm gonna put a stop to this.”

She turns, along with her friends as they search for Tarrlok who is talking to a task force member.

“Tarrlok, you need to turn the power back on and leave these people alone.”

“Avatar Korra, you and your playmates have no business here,” he says sternly.

“We're not going anywhere. You don't have the right to treat these innocent people like criminals.”

Tarrlok points at the protesters, “this is an Equalist rally. There is nothing innocent about it.”

“Equalist rally?” Keiko speaks up, outraged, “this isn’t an Equalist rally,” she points towards the protesters, “this is a group of innocent people who want their rights back! You cannot punish all nonbenders for the actions of a few!”

An image of Tenzin flashes in front of his eyes as he looks down at the young Airbender, he becomes furious.

“You’re just like your father,” he growls, “a coward!” He turns to the officers, “round up all these Equalists!”

Metalbending officers begin to bend, removing the legs from the barriers and forcing the people back as they coil the barriers around them.

The Metalbender’s slam their legs into the ground, causing large mounds of Earth to rise underneath the nonbenders, lifting them off the ground.

Fear begins to spread through those not caught, and they start running away.

The police force prepares to put people into the trucks, while Team Avatar looks on, aghast.

“Stop!” Korra bends the mounds of earth down so everyone can escape.

Tarrlok snarls at her, and turns to see Asami watching, he bends a water whip to grab onto Asami's wrist. Asami turns and looks up at him.

“Hey! Let me go!” She shouts, struggling to break free.

“You're under arrest!”

Mako looks at him, shocked, “What? You can't do that!”

Asami is grabbed by two members of the task force.

“Actually, I can. She's a nonbender out past curfew and her father is a known Equalist conspirator.”

“Let her go!”

Tarrlok points at Mako, “arrest him and his brother!”

The Metalbending officers coil their cables around the brothers and pull them in.

“Her too,” he sneers at Keiko and she finds herself facing the same treatment, arms pinned to he side by metal cord.

“Tarrlok!” Korra shouts, furious, bends two massive rocks on either side of her.

“Unless you want to join your friends in prison, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple.”

“Korra, listen to him. It's not worth it.” Mako says and Korra reluctantly drops the rocks back down.

“We'll be all right,” Bolin says while they’re being loaded into the truck.

“Don't worry, I'll call Tenzin. He can get you out!”

The doors close on him. Korra looks on in dismay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter I’ve ever written and my fingers hurt.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters Twenty-One and Twenty-Two will be up later today

Korra wasted no time heading down to police headquarters, after calling Tenzin.

She was at the front desk and was clearly being ignored.

“Hey!” She slams her fist on the desk.

“I came as fast as I could. Are your friends all right?” Tenzin asks behind her and she turns around, frustrated.

“I don't know! These knuckleheads won't tell me anything.”

The Airbending Master looks around, “where’s Keiko?”

“In prison,” Korra mumbles, she looks up and watches Tenzin’s face turn red and his eyes twitch, eventually he explodes, toppling desks and knocking over paperwork with a gust of wind.

“What?!” He shouts, he notices Saikhan who attempts to walk away unseen, Tenzin tries to keep his cool, yelling at the police chief won’t do him any good and it definitely won’t get Keiko out sooner.

“Saikhan, a word please.”

Saikhan turns to them, “Councilman Tenzin, I'm pretty swamped at the moment. Can this wait?”

“No, it cannot. Three of Avatar Korra's friends and my daughter were wrongly arrested tonight. I'd like you to release them immediately.”

Saikhan scoffs, “they’re not going anywhere. They were interfering with police business.”

Korra points a finger at him, “your so-called police business was rounding up innocent people and claiming they were Equalists. They should be released, too.”

“All Equalists suspects are being detained indefinitely. They'll be freed if and when the task force deems they are no longer a threat.” “Those people are entitled to due process under the law.”

“You'll have to take that up with Councilman Tarrlok.”

Tenzin raises his pointer finger. “oh, I plan to. At the council meeting, first thing in the morning.”

Saikhan narrows his eyes at them, Korra stuck a finger in his face, “you're officially the worst Chief of Police ever!” She grips his chin, moving his head up and down, Tenzin places a hand on her shoulder.

“Calm down, Korra, I'll get this sorted out, we just need to be patient.”

He starts leading her away but turns back himself, “but you really are the worst! Ever!”

They leave the station empty-handed.

* * *

Inside their shared cell, Keiko is sat on one of the metal beds, feet dangling off the edge.   
  
She wondered briefly where Bolin was and if he was okay, but she didn’t dwell on it, in fear that she might start crying.

Asami seemed perfectly fine, leaning against the wall.

They hadn’t said a word since they were thrown in but Asami had enough of silence.

”Keiko?”

The girl looked up at Asami who seemed hesitant.

”Can I...what’s going on with you and Bolin?”

The Airbender frowns, “what do you mean?”

Asami sighs and sits down next to her, “I know about the date and the kiss.”

Keiko struggles, “O...oh, he told you.”

The nonbender nods, “he did.”

Keiko sighs and rests her head against the wall, “it wasn’t a date,” she clarified, “or...at least I didn’t see it that way.”

“But Bolin did.”

”But Bolin did,” she repeats, she closes her eyes and took a deep breath, “I...” she searches for what to say, she’s never spoken to Asami one on one before.

“I didn’t tell Korra this but I...I’ve never been kissed before,” she admits.

Asami looks at her with some degree of shock, “never?”

”Never,” she confirms.

”So Bolin was you’re first kiss?”

Keiko nods, “yeah...he was,” Keiko smiles a little at the memory but it fades just as quick as it came, “but...I wasn’t ready.”

She looks at Asami, “when he kissed me I was overwhelmed, it made me feel something I never had before and it was terrifying.”

”A good feeling or a bad feeling?”

”Good...it was good.”

”Do you like him? As more than a friend?”

Keiko thought about it, about the way Bolin made her feel, she told Korra that she thought she was falling in love with him. 

But she wasn’t sure, she didn’t know, it was all so confusing, she was confused. He makes her feel things, strange complicated things she never felt before, she didn’t know what to call it, it was overwhelming, the warmth she felt when she was with him, the intense joy she pushed down and tried not to feel.

And last night, she could’ve easily slept in Korra’s bed, she did a few times when they were kids and she didn’t want to be alone.

But something pushed her towards Bolin’s room, at that moment she didn’t want Korra, she wanted Bolin.

He made her feel safe.

Her eyes stung and she blinked, pushing everything back down, shaking it from her mind and burying it away. 

She looked at Asami and said, “I don’t know.” 

* * *

  
It’s snowing, Korra lays in bed, restless and angry with herself.

She stands and opens the window to look at Republic City.

She turns to Naga, whispering, “wake up, Naga,” the polar bear dog opens her eyes and licks the palm of Korra’s hand.

“Let's go.”  
  


Tarrlok is inside this office, filling out paperwork with the council page by his side.

Suddenly the window bursts open, blowing papers everywhere.

The council page tries to catch the loose paperwork and Tarrlok looks up towards the window and scowls.

Korra stands in the window, “you and I need to talk.”

The Avatar steps down and walks into Tarrlok’s office which makes his face contort with anger.

He turns to the council page, “are there any other council members here?”

“I believe everyone has gone home for the night.”

“Then you should do the same.”

The council page’s eyes shift between Tarrlok and the Avatar, “are you sure, sir?”

“Leave us.”

The council page looks at Korra before looking back at Tarrlok. He bows and quickly walks away.

“You obviously have something on your mind? Spit it out.”

“Don't you see? You're doing exactly what Amon says is wrong with benders. You're using your power to oppress and intimidate people!”

Tarrlok tilts his head to the side, “and you don't?”

“Of-of course not!” Korra yells, slightly offended. 

“Isn't that what you came here to do? Intimidate me into releasing your friends?”

Korra glares at him.

“See, that's what I admire about you, Korra. Your willingness to go to extremes in order to get what you want. It is a quality we both share.”

“You and I are nothing alike!”

Tarrlok sighs, “look, I'll make you a deal: you

fall in line and do what I say and I'll release your friends.”

His words shocked Korra, “that’s why you arrested them? To get to me?”

“I need your answer.”

Korra stood her ground, “no. You might be able to manipulate Chief Saikhan into following you, but it won't work on me.”

Tarrlok stands and turns his back, “you will regret that decision.”

“You need to be stopped!” She points at him, accusingly, “you’re just as bad as Amon!”

Tarrlok’s eyes widen in rage, “I've tried to work with you, Korra, but you've made it impossible.”

Tarrlok turns around, bending from the waterfall at her.

Korra barely dodges, the water sliced the end of her ponytail.

She rolls and Earthbends the floor, forcing Tarrlok back into the waterfall.

Korra punches with both arms, sending a continuous blast of fire at Tarrlok who protects himself from the blast, shielding his body in a dome of water.

He thrusts his hands forward repeatedly behind the dome, firing several ice darts toward Korra, who flips back to try and dodge them, but still gets grazed as she lands.

She attempts to punch the ice darts away, but one catches her on her side, and she lifts her hands up to protect her head.

Tarrlok continues to throw ice darts at her with a sadistic smile, but Korra bends a wall to protect herself.

She bends the wall behind Tarrlok into him, causing the councilman to fly through the wall into the council chambers.

He tries to right himself, but trips over the railing and begins to fall, he grabs it, dangling almost helplessly.

Korra walks through the hole in the hall.

“Still think that I'm a half-baked Avatar?”

She Earthbends, causing Tarrlok to fall.

Korra jumps down, punching the ground hard enough to leave a crater in the floor. She looks up at him with anger, breathing heavily.

“What are you gonna do now? You're all out of water, pal.”

Tarrlok moves away in fear as Korra produces fire from the palm of her hands, she runs towards him with the full intention of vaporizing the man when...

She stops, looking at Tarrlok who has his arms outstretched, moving his fingers like some kind of puppet master, Korra yells in pain, her muscles strained and her body twisted.

Tarrlok was a Bloodbender.

It wasn’t a full moon, the moon was waning, how was he doing this?

He makes Korra fall to her knees, “you’re in my way Avatar, and you need to be removed.”

“You-you're a Bloodbender?”

“Very observant.”

Korra continues to struggle, “it’s not a full moon! How- how are you doing this?!”

“There are a lot of things you don't know about me.”

Tarrlok flings her across the room into a pillar.

Korra begins to lose consciousness as Tarrlok approaches her.

In time with her heartbeat she sees images flash before her eyes, similar images she had when knocked out during the championship.

Yakone bulges his eyes, hyper-focused.

Sokka yells in pain from the Bloodbending. Toph tries to metalbend her cables.’

Aang struggles to move closer to Yakone, who laughs at him, an expression of determination in his eyes. 

Korra sluggishly wakes up to find Tarrlok has bound her with ropes.

She lifts up her head, “where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere no one will find you, say goodbye to Republic City, Avatar Korra. You'll never see it again!”

She looks at him with rage, he begins to close the doors when Korra screams in anger, shooting fire from her mouth.

Tarrlok manages to close it in time and slams a fist on the door before walking up to start driving.

“You can't do this!”

Tarrlok starts driving.

“Let me out!”

He drives away, up into the mountains.


	21. Chapter 21

A basement door opens.

Not much is down there, the only object of note is a large metal box.

Tarrlok forces Korra down the stairs, keeping her suspended by using his Bloodbending.

Korra groans and strains while Tarrlok places her inside the box.

“What are you doing?”

When Korra is entirely in the box, he releases his grip on her, causing her to fall into a crumpled heap and slams the metal door shut.

Korra recovers and pounds on the door, “Tarrlok!”

He starts to walk up the stairs.

“You can’t keep me in here forever!”

Outside, Tarrlok’s boots crunch in the snow, he looks around briefly at the mountains and gets back into his vehicle.

He drives away, back to Republic City. 

* * *

The sun was barely shining when the phone rang.

Tenzin and Pema were asleep in bed with Meelo between them.

He sits up, rubs his eyes and crawls over his father's face to answer the phone, waking him up in the process.

"Who is this? It's six in the morning! This better be important!"

Tenzin sits up and takes the phone from him, leaving the child somewhat annoyed.

"Councilman Tenzin here," he pauses and listens, his eyes widen in shock, "what?!"

Tenzin wastes no time getting to City Hall.

He wasn't prepared for the level of destruction he had walked into.

His eyes lock onto Tarrlok who's having his arm examined by a healer.

"What happened? What was Korra doing at City Hall?"

"As I told Chief Saikhan," he stands, rolling down his sleeve, "Korra came to my office late last night. She was upset that I arrested her friends. She asked me to release them and...that's when the Equalists attacked. I tried to protect Korra, but we were outnumbered, then, I was electrocuted, when I came to, the police had arrived. But Korra was gone." He sighs regretfully, "I'm so sorry."

Tarrlok turns to Saikhan, "Chief Saikhan, mobilize the entire police force. We have to find the Avatar."

In another part of town, Lin Beifong is lying in bed, listening to the radio.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report. Late last night, Equalists attacked City Hall," Lin sits upright, startled and begins tuning the radio to listen more closely, "subduing Councilman Tarrlok and capturing Avatar Korra. Details are still coming in, b-"

Lin switches off the radio.

She slowly gets out of bed with a groan.

She crosses the room and opens her wardrobe, staring down at her old police uniform.

Lin changes at the speed her injuries would allow and Metalbends the uniform onto her body. 

A glint caught her eye and she stares down at the insignia and tears it off.

Grabbing her coat she was out the door and headed for police headquarters.

Inside their cell, Asami and Keiko were laying down on their cots, talking about nothing in particular.

Suddenly the door opens, letting light in.

Keiko sits up and squints, she blinks and smiles wide when she sees who it is.

“Mom!”

She bolts, nearly knocking the poor woman over.

Lin is startled but quickly hugs her back.

“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at home?”

Keiko lets go and steps back, “well you see, last night Tarrlok was trying to round up a group of nonbenders, he claimed they were Equalists. We tried to put a stop to it but we were arrested.”

Keiko could see the anger swimming in her mother's eyes, the left one twitching, but she takes a deep, calming breath, “I’ll deal with Saikhan later, but for now we have to get the others.”

“Why? Mom? Can you stop being dark and mysterious and tell me what’s going on?”

Keiko and Asami follow Lin down the row of cells and stop.

Inside, Mako and Bolin are standing in their cell.

Mako has his back to Bolin, who is attempting to use the toilet in the corner of the room.

“Are you done yet?”

“Cover your ears! I can't go with you listening.”

Mako sighs and does what he says.

He glances up as the cell door is Metalbent off its hinges.

“Asami!” The two embrace and Bolin’s face turns red in embarrassment.

“Ahh! A little privacy, please!”

“Are you alright?” Mako asks Asami.

“I'm fine! It's so good to see you.”

Lin clears her throat, “hate to break up your lovers' reunion, but Korra's in trouble. Amon captured her.”

Mako looks at Lin in horror, “no. No, she can't be gone!”

“Come on, we have an Avatar to rescue.”

Mako and Asami are out first, nearly bumping into Keiko.

“Hey, Keiko, didn’t see you there,” Mako says and Bolin’s embarrassment turns into mortification.

He was fully prepared to spend the rest of eternity in this cell.

“Hey, you okay?”

“No, Mako! I’m very much not okay! I just found out that my best friend was taken by Amon! I’m not doing okay!”

Wind blew, hard, knocking Bolin against the wall and he let out a whimper.

Keiko noticed and covered her mouth in shock, “I’m sorry Bolin, let me help you,” she took a step forward but Bolin rushed out.

“No! It’s fine, I’m okay...please don’t come in!”

Keiko looked down in the corner and up at Bolin, realization crossed her face which morphed into embarrassment, “oh you're...uh...” she clears her throat and steps outside, grimacing.

She went straight for Asami, pressing her face into her shoulder.

Asami could only pat her back trying not to laugh.

When Bolin was...finished, he joined the others outside, they start walking but there's a zipping noise and Bolin stops and squeaks, his face turning red.

“Your fly was down,” she said, blunt and indifferent.

”Thanks for catching that.”  
  


Korra is throwing herself against the sides of the box, kicking, and pounding trying to break herself out by sheer force.

“Somebody! Help! Please!”

She slumps to the ground, exhausted and realizing the futility of her actions.

“Please.”

Catching her breath she remembers what Tenzin said: “I urge you to meditate on these visions. I believe Aang's spirit is trying to tell you something.”

Korra inhales and meditates.

She sees Aang.

_He is standing in a street and turns when he hears boots behind him._

_“What are you doing here, Aang?”_

_Toph asks, mildly annoyed._

_She has several officers behind her, “I told you, I have this under control.”_

_“Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't get involved, but if what those victims said is true, we're not dealing with a normal criminal,” Aang says, mildly concerned._

_Toph smiles and waves, “fine, follow me, Twinkle Toes.”_

_Aang sighs, annoyed, “Toph, I'm forty years old. You think you could stop with the nicknames?”_

_“‘Fraid not.”_

_Aang grimaces in annoyance and follows._

_They approach a table in Kwong's Cuisine, where a man is eating, he has two bodyguards with him._

_“It's over! You're under arrest, Yakone!” Toph says in an authoritative tone, pointing to the man._

_Yakone’s head is lowered, his eyes are closed and he speaks calmly, “what is Republic City coming to? Used to be, a man could enjoy his lunch in peace.”_

_Toph bends a cable from a spool on her belt around his wrist and yanks him forward, knocking over his table._

_An officer comes around and cuffs him._

_“What's the big idea?”_

_“We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are.”_

_“Take him away.”_

_While being hauled from the restaurant he turns back to Aang and Toph._

_“I've beaten every trumped-up charge you yahoos have brought against me! And I'll beat this one, too,” he declares in confidence.   
_

Korra opens her eyes, “Whoa. I finally connected with you, Aang.” Her smile becomes confused, “but, what are you trying to tell me? A way out of this box would be nice.”

She inhales, closes her eyes and begins meditating again.

Lin, Mako, Bolin, Keiko and Asami walk into Tenzin's office.

Who is currently on the phone.

He sees them, “I have to go. Call me back the minute you hear anything.” He hangs up and stands, very surprised.

“Lin? Wh-wh-what are y- What are y- You should be in the hospital!” 

Keiko rushes behind his desk and hugs her father.   
“And you four! You should be in prison!”

“I figured you could use our help finding Korra,” Lin explains.

Mako steps forward, anxious, “do you have any leads?”

“I've been on the phone all morning, but nothing yet.” Tenzin says. He hugs Keiko back, squeezing, humming soundly, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

Keiko wiggles herself out of her father’s iron grip, “what about Naga?” she suggests, “she could track Korra.”

“I'm afraid Naga is missing as well.”

“Then where do we start?”

“My guess is the Equalists are hiding underground in the maze of tunnels beneath the city.”

“Underground...just like my father's secret factory. Figures,” Asami scoffs.

Bolin remembers his past experience with Equalists, “yeah! Yeah, that makes sense! When those chi blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel!”

“I know where to start looking! Come on!”

Mako leads the teens from the room.

“Wherever Amon is keeping Korra, I bet that's where my officers are too.”

“Let's bring them all home, Lin.”   
  


They take Oogie, Mako tells Tenzin where to land.   


The group jumps off the bison and Mako points down the road.

“The truck with Bolin took off down this alley!”

They jog to the next intersection.

“Which way?”

“Hmm.” Bolin sniffs the air, “this way kinda...smells familiar.”

Lin Metalbends the sole of her shoe back and uses seismic sense to test the ground.

“There's a tunnel nearby.”

The group follows her and they slide down an embankment.

Mako points to a large tunnel, closed off by a metal gate, “there!”

Lin Inspects the ground, “motorcycle tracks.”

“Korra has to be in there...somewhere.”

Lin bends the gate open and they walk into an intersection of tunnels. 

Mako uses his bending to light the way.

“Let's try this way.”

“And what if Korra's not down there?”

“Then we pick another tunnel until we find her!” Mako yells, sharply, turning before he could see Asami’s hurt face.

She has dropped back, placing herself so that she is next to Bolin and Keiko, who are walking together but aren’t speaking, still embarrassed from the cell incident.

“Hey, is Mako all right? He seems really worried about Korra.” Asami asks.

“Yeah, we all are!” Bolin agrees.

“I know, but, he's your brother. Do you think that he likes Korra as more than just a friend?”

Bolin chuckles nervously and his voice pitches up, “w-what? No! That's, just gossip, where'd you hear that? Crazy talk is coming out of your mouth right now. Heh..”

Asami places her hand on his shoulder, in a demanding tone.

“What do you know, Bolin? Come on, spill it.”

“Nothing! I mean, there was this one time during the tournament when Mako and Korra kissed, but-“

Keiko hears them and stops, she turns back around and rushes in their direction, “I’m sorry...they what?”

Asami is in shock, “they...kissed?” She looks at Mako as he grows further and further away.

“I don't think it meant anything,” Bolin shrugs.

“I doubt that,” Asami looks like she’s about to cry and Keiko grabs her hand, sympathetic.

“Come on, we have to keep moving.”

Asami nods and Keiko takes her to rejoin the group, Bolin trailing behind.

The team hears the sound of motorcycles growing closer.

“Hide!”

The six duck behind a pillar as the motorcycles approach.

One Equalist flips a switch on his dash that in turn opens a secret door in the opposite wall of the tunnel.

The two motorcycles race inside and the door promptly closes.

Lin makes a face and crosses the tunnel, followed by the others.

She runs her hand across the door and uses metalbending to trigger the lock and forces the door up.

They rush in and the door closes behind them. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate summer, summer just isn’t for me, I hate it here. I’ve taken three cold showers today and I’m still sweating.

They approach a large open space.

Equalists are loading supplies onto tram carts on tracks that lead to various tunnels.

An Equalist with a clipboard is directing loading and traffic.

“That tram goes to the training camp.”

The tram disappears down a tunnel and he walks to another one that has just arrived. A female Equalist climbs down.

“Everything was delivered to the prison, sir.”

They both walk out of sight.

“That's where they must be keeping Korra,” Tenzin whispers.

“We need to get down that tunnel.”

Lin signals the group with her hand and they all run toward the tram and jump in.

The tram starts to move down the tunnel, halfway through Lin instructed everyone to jump off.

At the tunnel's exit, two Equalists are waiting for the tram.

A light flashes and an alarm sounds to signal the tram's arrival. It coasts to a stop with nothing inside.

“It's empty!”

“Yeah, I can see that,” the Equalist says, dripping with sarcasm.

From inside the tunnel, Lin uses her metalbending cables to grab the two Equalists and drags them in.

Keiko restrains them with their own bola’s, nice and tight so they don’t escape.

Lin gestures to Keiko, Bolin and Asami, “you three, keep an eye on them.”

Lin uses her seismic sense to search the prison.

“My officers are inside.”

“What about Korra?”

“I don't see her yet.”

Mako, Lin, and Tenzin head off down the corridor.

They turn the corner and see two Equalists, who prepare to attack them.

Tenzin uses his bending to knock them against a wall, Mako runs toward them and grabs one of them, removing his mask.

“Avatar Korra. Where are you keeping her?” Mako snarls.

Lin peers into the prison cell, where her officers are being kept. 

She bends the bars apart and walks in.

One of the officers looks up, wearily, “Chief Beifong?”

Lin sighs, “I'm too late. That monster already took your bending, didn't he?”

The officer nods his head.

Lin looks down sadly.

“I'm so sorry, comeon, let's gets you out of here.”

All the officers get up and follow Lin out of the cell.

Mako has the Equalist pinned against a wall.

“I'll ask you one more time,” he ignites his right hand, “where is she?”

We don't have the Avatar, and the Equalists didn't attack City Hall. Tarrlok's lying,” he strains, grabbing Mako’s arm.

Mako drops the man on the ground, “what?”

Lin approaches them, “I scanned the entire prison. Korra's not here.”

“Why would Tarrlok make up a story about getting attacked?”

Tenzin comes to the realization.

“Because he has Korra. He fooled us all!”

A siren echoes through the tunnels, Lin, Mako and Tenzin run back to the rest of the group who surround the tram.

“Let's go, people!”

They get into the tram, which takes off. Equalists start to catch up from behind.

Bolin uses his bending to collapse the sides of the tunnel, causing the tram to crash in the rubble.

Jubilantly and challengingly, “try to chi block that, fools!”

Lin at the front of the tram, notices an army of Equalists waiting up ahead.

Among them is the Lieutenant and several mecha tanks.

“We've got more company!”

Lin bends the rail on the ceiling onto the track.

“Hang on!”

The tram climbs the rail as Lin earthbends a hole in the ceiling.

It flies through the gap and lands on the ground of the tunnel above.

Everyone groans as Lin makes another hole on the ceiling for them to escape, daylight streams in. 

Bolin helps Keiko to her feet and she smiles at him, “thank you.”

She hesitates before pressing her nose to his cheek, it lasted not even a fraction of a second but it was enough for Bolin to melt, cupping his cheek while he sighs.

What he says is “you’re welcome,” but unknown to him, what he really meant was, “I love you.”

* * *

Korra meditates still, locked in the metal box.

She makes contact with Aang again, his memory of Yakone's trial.

_“Yakone has ruled Republic City's criminal empire for years. Yet he has always managed to stay out of the law's reach, until now. You will hear testimony, from dozens of his victims, and they will tell you, Yakone has maintained his grip on the underworld by using an ability that has been illegal for decades.”_

_The prosecution attorney turns to the council, where a Sokka is sitting at the head._

“ _Bloodbending.”_

_Sokka narrows his eyes._

_“The prosecution's entire case is built upon the make-believe notion that my client is able to Bloodbend at will, at any time on any day. I remind the council that bloodbending is an incredibly rare skill and it can only be performed during a full moon. Yet, the witnesses will claim that my client used bloodbending at every other time except during a full moon. It would be a mockery of justice to convict a man of a crime that is impossible to commit,” Yakone’s defence attorney argues._

The memory cuts out but she makes contact again.

_The Council returns from their deliberations and takes their seats._

“ _Councilman Sokka will now deliver the verdict.”_

_Sokka stands, “in my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities. Why I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind. Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, singlehandedly developed the skill. The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this council that Yakone is one of these unique benders and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison.”_

_Sokka pounds his gavel to seal the decision. The defence attorney crumples up a paper, throws it, and slams his fist on the table in annoyance._

_He looks toward his client as Yakone slowly stands up, grinning._

_Yakone’s eyes begin to suddenly bulge._

_Sokka cries out in pain as his body is contorted and after a moment, the other councilmen cry out as well._

_Toph is shocked briefly, before trying to stop Yakone and restrain him with her cables._

_Yakone rolls his eyes at her, incapacitating her immediately._

_He laughs as he turns and sees the entire room under his control._

_Aang struggles as he reaches out his hand to Yakone._

Korra breathes deeply and raggedly with her eyes closed. 

* * *

They arrived at City Hall as quickly as Oogie could fly.

Tenzin called the other council members into the chamber, along with Chief Saikhan.

“Thank you all for meeting us on such short notice.”

Lin addresses Saikhan coldly, “Chief.”

“Lin.”

“I heard you arrested my daughter,” Lin says, hands behind her back.

“I was only following orders.”

Murderous intent or near-murderous intent flashes behind Lin’s eyes, “you’re lucky we’re not here for you.”

“Have you news of Avatar Korra?” Tarrlok asks, approaching from behind.

“We do,” he points at Tarrlok, angrily, “you kidnapped her, Tarrlok!

Tarrlok feigns innocence, “I am shocked you would accuse me of such an evil act! I already explained: Equalists attacked us and took her!”

“But there were no chi blockers here last night. You planted the evidence, didn't you?”

“That is a ridiculous accusation!”

“It’s true! He took her!”

They all turn their heads where the council page peaks through a pillar up above. “I was here when Avatar Korra arrived last night, but Councilman Tarrlok ordered me to leave. I was on my way out when I saw Tarrlok bring her down to the garage.”

“That is nonsense!”

The page cowers behind the pillar as he points at him, enraged.

“Everyone knows you're nothing but a squeaky-voiced liar!”

Lin folds her arms, “why did you wait until now to 'fess up?”

“I was terrified to tell because...because Tarrlok is a bloodbender!”

Everyone looks at Tarrlok in shock.

“He bloodbent Avatar Korra!”

“Don't make this worse for yourself.” Tenzin takes a fighting stance, “tell us where you have Korra.”

Lin also takes her stance and both prepare to attack.

Tarrlok's eyes bulge.

Tenzin and Lin both freeze before they could attack, straining and groaning in pain as Tarrlok controlled their bodies from the inside.

But it didn’t stop there, he moved on to everyone.

They all cry out in pain as Tarrlok bends them to their knees and eventually knocks them all unconscious.

Tarrlok runs and gets into his car.

* * *

Korra is still reliving Aang’s memories.

_Aang is being bloodbent by Yakone, who is grinning, relishing at his own power._

_Yakone makes Toph grab a ring of keys from her deputy's belt and float over to him._

_He forces Toph to unlock his cuffs, which fall to the ground._

_He flexes his wrists and raises his hands to bend everyone into unconsciousness._

_He turns to see that Aang is still awake and levitates him high into the air._

“ _Yakone,” Aang struggles to say._ _Yakone bends his arms behind his back. “You won't get away with this!”_

_Yakone laughs, almost maniacal, “Republic City's mine, Avatar. I'll be back one day to claim it.”_

_Yakone bends Aang into the steps of the dais, knocking him out, before running outside._

_He leaps into a cart pulled by an ostrich horse and dashes off._

_Aang regains consciousness as his eyes and tattoos glow briefly._

_He bursts out of City Hall on a large air scooter and quickly catches up to Yakone, who looks up and gasps._

_Aang sends a blade of air to sever the ostrich horse's harness from the cart, which flips onto its side and slides to a halt._

_Aang coasts in front of the cart and waits for a moment._

_Yakone bursts out of the side door and Bloodbends him to the ground, “this time I'm gonna put you to sleep for good!”_

_Aang yells in pain as Yakone levitates him into the air and begins contorting his body to painful and near-death positions._

_Suddenly, his eyes and tattoos glow and the Bloodbending immediately has no effect on him._

_He Earthbends a cone of rock around Yakone's body, immobilizing him completely._

_He approaches the man and places his thumbs on Yakone's forehead and chest as he struggles._

_“I'm taking away your bending, for good.”_

_When it’s over, he steps back and Yakone slumps down._

_“It's over.”_

Korra opens her eyes.

“Aang...this whole time...you were trying to warn me about Tarrlok.”

She rubs her eyes and stands as she hears the door open.

“My life is a disaster now, thanks to you,” Tarrlok grits through his teeth, furious.

“So your little bloodbending secret's out?” Korra says, almost smug.

Tarrlok growls at her before leaving.

“And I know how you bloodbent me without a full moon.”

Tarrlok stops walking.

“You're Yakone's son.”

“I was his son,” he corrects, “but in order to win Republic City, I had to become someone else. My father failed because he tried to rule the city from its rotten underbelly. My plan was perfect. I was to be the city's saviour. But you, you ruined everything!”

“Tarrlok, the jig is up and you have nowhere to go.”

Tarrlok shakes his head, “oh no. No, I'll escape and start a new life. And you're coming as my hostage.”

Korra pounds on the door of the box.

“You'll never get away with this!”

Tarrlok walks to the top of the steps and gasps when he sees Amon.

Waiting for him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s an extra chapter that I was saving for tomorrow. 
> 
> I’ve had so much coffee I could probably fight God.
> 
> I mean, I’ll lose but I could still fight.

“Wake up!”

Lin slaps Tenzin across the face, startling him awake.

Mako helps Asami up as Bolin wakes, freaked out.

He looks around the chamber, “ughh! Man! I had this awful dream that Korra was taken by this evil bloodbender.”

Mako and Asami look at him.

“So weird.”

“Bolin, that really happened. He knocked us out,” Asami tells him, deadpan.

“Are you serious?” Bolin looks around, “where is he? Is he here right now?”

“Tarrlok is long gone. I'll alert the whole force,” Saikhan and the council members leave.

Keiko is the last to wake up, she manages to sit up, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead.  


Bolin holds out his hand and she takes it.

He pulls her up to her feet with perhaps a little too much strength.

She gasps and stumbles forward on the tips of her toes, she’s pressed up against his chest, hands gripping his shoulders for support.

His hands find her waist and green eyes meet grey.

Someone in the room clears his throat.

Keiko turns her head and finds her father glaring at Bolin.

Smiling awkwardly she rocks back onto her feet and steps away from the Earthbender.

Tenzin holds out his hand and Keiko scurries to take it.

Lin points with her index and pinkie at her eyes and back to Bolin, glaring at him, wordlessly saying, “I’m watching you.”

She turns and walks out.

Mako places a hand on his brother’s shoulder in sympathy and follows them.   


* * *

“Amon!”

Korra gasps in her box.

“It is time for you to be equalized.”

The Lieutenant and other Equalists behind him all take fighting stances.

“You fool! You've never faced bending like mine.”

Tarrlok begins Bloodbending.

The other Equalists all crumple and fall to the ground, but Amon seems unaffected and with minor struggle, begins walking forward. Tarrlok gasps and redoubles his efforts.

Amon is halted for a moment, but with a very great effort he moves one foot forward and continues walking normally.

Tarrlok begins backing up in horror.

“What? What are you?”

“I am the solution.”

Amon reaches out and grabs Tarrlok's arm, twisting him around until he is standing behind him.

He jabs his right hand at the base of Tarrlok's neck and moves his left hand toward his forehead as Tarrlok watches in horror.

Korra sits in her box, listening to Tarrlok's scream of anguish as his bending is removed.

She looks up toward the ceiling.

Tarrlok collapses to the ground with wide open eyes.

The Equalists all groan and stand up as Amon lifts Tarrlok's limp body onto his shoulders.

“I'll take care of him. You four retrieve the Avatar. Do not underestimate her. Electrocute the box to knock her out before you open it.”

Korra's eyes widen.

“My pleasure.”

Korra gazes at the bars in the top of the box as she hears the Equalists' footsteps descending the stairs.

She glances down and fingers one of the bands on her forearm.

The Lieutenant stands in front of the box and pulling out his electrified kali sticks.

“It's payback time.”

He shocks the box.

From inside, Korra fakes cries of pain as electricity courses through the box.

She removed one of her armbands and wrapped it over a bar in the roof.

She is hanging from it so that she is insulated from the electricity so she harmed.

The hanging bulb above the box shatters and the Lieutenant steps back, hearing a thump from inside.

“Open the box.”

A chi blocker opens the door to find Korra lying motionless on the floor.

“Tie her up.”

Korra firebends a large burst of flame from her foot, forcing the Equalists back as she leaps out of the box.

The Equalists fling their bolas at her, but she dodges and earthbends a giant wave to send them flying.

Amon is putting Tarrlok in his truck, as Korra bursts out of the house.

They lock eyes for a moment before Korra bends snow into spears of ice and hurls them at Amon.

He dodges, giving her enough time to run away and jump off a steep slope of the mountain. The Equalists run up to Amon.

Amon turns to his Lieutenant and the three other Equalists; calmly scolding.

“I thought I told you not to underestimate her.

Korra looks behind, as she uses Waterbending to snowboard down the mountain.

She trips over a tree root and flies into the air, landing hard against a tree.

Snow lands on her and she groans before losing consciousness.   
  


Naga sniffs around the snow, she looks up and sees Korra lying unconscious underneath the tree.

She runs up to Korra, licking her face, waking her.

“Naga, you came looking for me, good girl.”

She hugs Naga and pulls herself up onto the saddle, laying slumped across Naga’s back.

Naga walks them back to Republic City.

Tenzin, Lin, Mako, Bolin, Keiko and Asami fly above the city on Oogie.

They hear a howl close by.

“That sounds like Naga!”

Tenzin pulls the bison into a turn.

“Down there!”

Korra moans slightly as the bison lands and the group dismounts.

Tenzin, Keiko and Lin run-up to her.

“Korra! Oh, thank goodness.”

“Where's Tarrlok? How did you get away?”

Mako shoves them out of the way, “give her some space!”

He reaches up and pulls Korra into his arms, walking back to Oogie.

Asami looks on with a pained expression.

“I was so worried. Are you all right?” Mako asks, Korra smiles.

“I'm fine. I'm glad you're here.”

She shuts eyes and leans her head against Mako's chest.

He lays her down in the saddle, brushing her hair away from her face.

Keiko jumps onto the bison, floating down onto her knees, she touches Korra’s shoulder, “Spirits, you’re freezing!”

She takes off her cape and draped it over Korra like a blanket.

The others climb onto the bison, watching Keiko and Mako fuss over Korra, who eventually falls asleep.   


* * *

Korra is lying in bed back at the Temple, still asleep with her hair all undone.

Mako watches over her.

He holds her hand, while Asami watches silently from a doorway. She looks down sadly and leaves.

Tenzin and Keiko enter his bedroom, where Pema and her siblings are all sleeping.

He sits next to the bed in a chair and Keiko sits on the edge.

Tenzin places his hand on Pema's stomach, as both she and Jinora open their eyes.

She looks at her father and Keiko, “you're home, we waited up for you, is Korra okay?”

“Yes, she's fine, sweetie.”

Ikki wakes up and he lifts her into his arms.

Meelo crawls over to Keiko and lays his head in her lap.

“I was scared. I thought she wasn't coming back.”

“I'm sorry you were scared, but everything is going to be fine now. I promise.”  
  


Korra chows down on food while sitting at a table with Keiko, Bolin, Mako, Asami, Tenzin, Lin, and Pema.

“Mmm. The food tastes amazing, Pema. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again.”

Pema stands up to retrieve Korra's cleaned plate, “we’re so thankful you're home safe.”

Asami stands to assist Pema, “let me help.”

“Korra, I realize you've been through a lot, but I need to know everything that happened.”

“Well, first off, Tarrlok isn't who he says he is. He's Yakone's son.”

Tenzin and Lin appear shocked.

“It all makes sense now. That's how Tarrlok was able to bloodbend us without a full moon.”

“But how did you escape? And where's Tarrlok?” Tenzin asks.

“Amon captured him, and took his bending.”

“What?” Tenzin’s eyes widen, he could hardly believe his ears.

“Yeah, he showed up out of nowhere. He almost got me, too.”

Tenzin strokes his beard, “this is very disturbing news. Amon is becoming emboldened. Taking out a Councilman, almost capturing the Avatar...I fear Amon is entering his endgame.”

Bolin, Keiko, Korra and Mako exchange glances of concern.

In the kitchen, Asami and Pema washing dishes.

Pema suddenly doubles over and cries out in pain.

Asami grabs Pema's shoulder in concern, “Pema, are you all right?”

“The baby is...just kicking, really hard, is all. I'm fine,” she assures.

“Should I get Tenzin?” Asami asks, concerned.

“No reason to worry him, it's nothing.”

Mako walks into the kitchen carrying a teapot.

“Can I get some hot water? Korra needs more tea.”

Asami glares, “you’re a firebender. Boil it yourself.”

Asami continues washing her dish as both Mako and Pema stare at her with confusion.

“I'm- gonna step out in case you two want to talk.” Pema grimaces as she leaves.

“Is there something we need to talk about?” Mako asks, confused.

“I've noticed how you treat Korra. How you acted when she was missing.” She drops the dish and washcloth in the sink and turns to face him.

“You have feelings for her, don't you?”

Mako squares his shoulders, defensively, “what? No! She was taken by a crazy Bloodbender! How did you expect me to act?”

Asami sighs, “look, I like Korra,” she turns away from him, “but you've been keeping the truth from me this whole time.”

“The truth? About what?”

“You're really going to make me say it?” Asami almost shouts with anger.

“Yes! Because I don't know what you're talking about!”

“The kiss, Mako, I know.”

The Firebender is shocked, “I-well I-“

He sighs, angrily, “Bolin told you, didn't he?!”

“Don't blame your brother for what you did! Do you have feelings for Korra or not?”

“Look, things are crazy right now. Can we deal with our relationship problems later?”

He places his hand on hers.

Asami yanks her hand away, somewhat coldly, “well, there might not be any relationship to worry about later.”

She stomps out of the kitchen.

“Asami!” Mako calls out after her, “Asami!”

He groans in frustration.   
  


Tenzin walking through a courtyard.

Lin approaches him and he turns.

“Lin, um, I, I- I need to ask you a favour. It would mean the world to me...but I-I know it could be a- a potentially awkward situation, furthermore, - “

Lin interrupts, “spit it out already!”

“Will you stay here and watch over Pema and the children while I meet with the council? With everything that has happened lately, I want to be sure my family is in safe hands.”

Lin her hand on Tenzin's shoulder, “of course I'll help, old friend.”

Pema walks up, holding Meelo.

“I didn't realize you two were out here.”

“Pema! Ye- yes- yes, Lin has agreed to help out around here and keep an eye on things while I'm away.”

“Thank you! I could use the extra pair of hands.”

She gives a laughing Meelo to Lin.

“Would you mind giving him a bath? He's filthy,” she walks away.

Meelo sticks out his tongue and blows a raspberry at Lin while continuing to laugh.

Tenzin mounts his sky bison.

She yells out to Tenzin angrily while holding Meelo away from herself.

“This is not what I signed on for!”

“Thank you, Lin! Oogie, yip yip!”

Keiko comes out of the Temple and smiles, approaching Lin and her brother, “here,” she offers, “I’ll take him.”

She holds out her arms and Meelo practically flies out of Lin’s.

Keiko holds the boy and raises an eyebrow, “now, what was your mom saying about a bath?”

“I don’t wanna!” Meelo protests.

“Tough, my little Hellion.”

Lin watches Keiko walk away with a squirming Meelo.

She smiles softly at her daughter for a moment before turning and walking back inside.  


This was to be, the calm before the storm. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched 365 Days last night to satiate my curiosity and oh my God 
> 
> That’s not a good oh my God, that’s a bad oh my God
> 
> It’s like 50 Shades but worse
> 
> So much worse

The Fire Nation representative of the United Republic Council is pacing nervously about the room, while her husband is absorbed in a newspaper.

“Do you know where my keys are? I can't find them anywhere!”

“No, dear.” He says, uninterested.

The Councilwoman searches her purse one more time, “oh, found them!” She holds her keys up to show her husband who only turns his paper.

“Good, dear.”

“Don't wait up for me; this council session will probably go late into the night.”

They hear a knock at the front door.

She rushes to answer it.

“The door, dear.”

The Councilwoman opens the door to find two men in uniforms standing on the front step, one of which is actually Amon's Lieutenant in disguise.

He quickly gives a sly smile before looking normal.

“We're here to fix a spider-rat problem,” he says, holding up spray hose and poison can.

The Councilwoman looks at the man confused, “I didn't call an exterminator.”

The Lieutenant electrocutes her and she collapses.

“Dear?”  
  


Tenzin lands on the roof of City Hall.

He jumps off Oogie and walks around the dome where several workers are cleaning the glass.

They nod at each other as Tenzin passes.

He walks a few steps further, but pauses, feeling the fizz of electricity in his beard.

He ducks in surprise as an electrified disk spirals over his head and he spins midair as another barely misses him.

He lands on his feet as the Equalists in disguise drop to the ground and seize his wrists with bolas.

Tenzin dodges their attacks, and Airbends himself high into the air, forming a small tornado.

The Equalist who was still standing on the ground is flung back against the concrete wall by a gust of wind and he slumps down against it.

Tenzin riding his tornado and the two Equalists holding onto their bolas for dear life as they are spun around.

Unable to hold on any longer, they release their grip and are flung onto a nearby rooftop. Tenzin lands back on the ground as the door opens and the council page comes out, screaming and covering his face until the wind dies down.

“Ah, I'm so relieved to see you!”

“The other council members. Are they all right?” Tenzin asks and the page looks worried.

“I'm afraid not! I just received a call from Chief Saikhan. They've all been captured!”

“This can't be happening.”

“The leadership of Republic City is in your hands now.”

Tenzin and the page hear something and turn their heads

Explosions.

They run to the edge of the roof, watching bombs falling into the city from airships.

The page tugs at his hair and wails, “it is a tragic day indeed!”  
  


On the island, Lin looks on at the city, hearing the explosions from a distance.

She turns to Jinora, Meelo and Ikki.

“Alright, kids, time to go inside.”

Korra, Mako, Keiko, Bolin and Asami rush in to see what is going on just as the children walk inside, hand in hand.

“We heard explosions, what’s going on?” Korra asks.

“Republic City is under attack.”

“We need to get over there and help any way we can,” Mako says.

Korra grabs Keiko’s hand and they start running for the docks but she lets go.

They turn to look at her.

“Kiki, what are you doing?” Korra asked and she takes a breath.

“I need to stay here,” she says, “in case something happens, I need to be here to protect my family.”

“I understand,” Korra says, giving Keiko a small smile, she returns it and watches as they board her father’s boat.

Her eyes lock onto Bolin and using whatever courage she has she calls out, “Bo?”

The Earthbender turns around and she rushes up and before she could change her mind, she rises up on a little ball of air and kisses Bolin on the cheek.

Although it wasn’t really a kiss, or a peck really but her lips did touch his cheek and it was enough to leave the boy temporarily dumbstruck.

She steps back down and looks up at him, “be careful.”

  
Hiroshi Sato looks at a photograph of himself, his wife, and Asami as a child while bombs explode all around him. 

He snaps the picture shut and tucks it away in his jacket pocket, before walking toward Amon, who is watching the city from the windows at the front of the airship.

“I've dreamed of this day for so long.”

“Yes, the time has come for the Equalists to claim Republic City as their own.”

  
Smoke rises and sirens roar all over the city while the bombs keep dropping.

Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami get off of Tenzin's boat and run off the dock.

“Where did you say you parked the car?”

“It's right around here somewhere.”

Korra looks around and spots the car, “there it is.”

Team Avatar runs to the Satomobile, which has crashed into a pole.

Asami puts her hand on her hip, “wow, nice parking job,” she says sarcastically.

Korra defends herself, “hey, you guys got arrested and left me alone with the car! I made it very clear I don't know how to drive.”

“All things considered you did a great job!” Bolin grabs the parking tickets off the windshield, “but how are we going to pay for all these parking tickets?”

Mako grabs the parking tickets out of Bolin's hand, crumples them up, and burns them.

Bolin gasps in horror.

“Relax, the city is under attack. The police have more important things to worry about.”

Asami opens the trunk and takes out an electrified glove.

“This'll come in handy.”

She opens the driver's side door and gets in. Mako goes to sit next to her but Asami looks at him disdainfully, “why don't you sit in back? With Korra.”

“I think I will.”

Asami starts the car. Bolin sits in front.

“Everything all right?” Korra asked.

Mako turns his head to the side; sarcastically, “yeah, everything is terrific...”

Asami backs up quickly.

“Car!” Bolin calls, but it swerves out of the way in time, “oh, we’re good.”  
  


At police headquarters, inside the control room.

“Chief! Air unit seven was just taken out by an Equalist airship. They've crashed into the harbour!” One of the telegraph operators said.

“Send a river rescue unit.”

“Chief, all the river rescue ships have been sabotaged!”

“What?”

Tenzin opens the door and enters, “Chief Saikhan.”

“Tenzin, am I glad to see you. I was afraid you'd been captured too.”

“I'm the only Council member left. What's the status?”

“Amon has launched simultaneous attacks across the boroughs. The police are trying to regain control but we're spread too thin.”

Tenzin strokes his beard pensively, “I need to send a wire.”

“To whom, Councilman?”

“The general of the United Forces.”  


Outside, smoke pours in from the vents.

The people in the halls cough and collapse.

“Councilman, your wire has been sent.”

“Chief, the phone lines just went dead!”

Saikhan and Tenzin glance at each other and then an alarm goes off.

The power goes out, silencing the alarm. Saikhan turns on a flashlight.

“Catch.”

He throws another flashlight to Tenzin.

They both search the room.

Tenzin notices smoke coming out of a vent.

“Saikhan, the vents.”

Saikhan bends the vent shut as the people in the room begin coughing, inhaling the smoke.

“We need to evacuate immediately. Everyone stay close to me.”

They follow Tenzin out into the hallway, Tenzin creates a dome of air to protect Saikhan and his workers.

They escape through the front entrance.

But perhaps escape is the wrong word.

They all let out a gasp, waiting for them were six mecha tanks.

“Not these mecha tanks again!”

The tanks raise magnetic arms to capture the Metalbenders.

Tenzin tries to save Saikhan, holding him back with a current of air.

But the magnet is stronger and captures the police chief.

The tanks deposit the officers into a truck.

One of the machines tries to capture Tenzin with one of its grappler cables.

Tenzin uses his bending to deflect the grappler and fired two more shots at the tank, sending it back.

Tenzin keeps attacking the tanks and they fire grapplers.

One of them catches the Airbender and knocks him against the wall of the building.

He uses his bending to soften his fall.

He struggles to look up to watch the truck drive away.

“Saikhan, no!”

He watches a police airship go down and hears the muffled yells of alarm from the telegraph operators as they too are captured.

His vision blurs and goes black and the tanks close in.

Tires squeal and a car comes speeding around the corner.

Asami floors it and Bolin bends a ramp.

“Jump!”

Team Avatar bails and the car soars, smashing into two mecha tanks.

The remaining machines close in on them.

Mako, Korra and Bolin engage with the tanks.

Asami runs to save Tenzin.

Mako shoots fire at a tank.

A tank fires a grappler and is knocked back by a stone slab.

The other tank fires and Bolin jumps away.

Mako attacks a mecha tank, only to be grabbed by a cable and electrocuted.

Mako grabs the cable and redirects it.

The electricity courses through the tank as its lights go out and it slumps on itself.

Korra melts the nearby snow into two water streams.

She dodges one of the cables and runs up Bolin's ramp.

She bends the water into the exhaust pipes of another tank.

It begins to malfunction and Bolin bends the road to knock it over.

Two Equalists have just carried Tenzin to a truck and set him down when Asami electrocutes one from behind.

She takes out five more Equalists as they attack her, nimbly dodging their attacks before electrocuting them.

Tenzin groans and stands, “thank you.”

Tenzin assists Mako in fighting one of the two remaining mecha tanks.

Tenzin positions himself beneath the tank and airbends it high into the air, sending it flying onto the roof.

Up above, Hiroshi Sato is watching the fight through spyglass on Amon’s airship.

“Tenzin has escaped once again. I can't stand to see Asami fighting alongside those...those benders.”

“We'll capture them before long,” Amon assures, “and you will have your daughter back.”

Korra rushes up to Tenzin, “are you alright?”

“I'm fine. Thank you, kids. Another moment later and I would have been on my way to Amon.”

Mako looks off and his eyes widen, “uh, guys...look.”

He points down the street, where an Equalist airship can be seen arriving at Air Temple Island.

Tenzin looks on in horror, “oh no.”  
  


The airships hatch opens.

The Lieutenant and a group of chi blockers look down on the island.

A metal cable fires from above and attached itself to the Temples stone steps.

The chi blockers secure their harnesses and begin to slide down.

The White Lotus sentries are watching and charge forward to confront them.

Lin and Keiko are standing in the courtyard,

Pema and the children watch from the balcony.

“Everyone, hide inside and remain calm.”

Behind them, Pema screams in pain, the Beifong’s turn around to face her.

“Pull it together, Pema!” Lin scolds, “didn’t I just say ‘remain calm’?”

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Pema is leaning over the balcony with her hand on her stomach.

“The baby's coming!

“Oh no!”

Meelo stomps his foot, “not now, baby!”

The Temple midwives come rushing out, they escort Pema inside, Keiko addresses Jinora.

“Jinora, I want you to take Ikki and Meelo inside and keep them distracted and no matter what happens you stay inside.”

Jinora nods and takes her siblings hands.

Once their gone Lin turns to her daughter, “are you ready?”

Keiko shook her head, “no,” she admits, “I’ve never been much of a fighter.”

She looks on, towards the White Lotus sentries who are having a difficult time holding the chi blockers off.

A second airship appears.

“But now it seems I don’t have a choice.” 


	25. Chapter 25

Chi blockers swing down, followed by the Lieutenant.

Keiko and Lin stand guard in the courtyard.

The Lieutenant and a group of chi blockers race up the steps and charge.

Lin uses her cables to take out two chi blockers, before grabbing another Equalist.

An Equalist runs up to her, which she intercepts, knocking him in the face with her bending.

She groans and slams the floor, bending pillars of stone that send the Equalists flying into the air.   


The Lieutenant points his kali sticks at Keiko.

“Hello little Airbender,” he said, a sadistic smirk on his face, “we meet again.”

Keiko takes a fighting stance and he charged.

She ducks and knocks him over her shoulder.

He scrambles to his feet and takes a swing, she bends low and punches him in the stomach, sending him back into a pillar, using her bending to assist her.

The stone cracks on impact and he slides to the ground, temporarily immobilized.

A chi blocker grabs Keiko by her cape and pulls her back, he tries to jab her side and arm but she turns, grabbing his wrist and twisting it.

There’s a cracking sound and he screams under his mask, dropping to his knees, cradling his broken wrist.

She kicks him in the head, knocking him out.

Lin stands there, stunned.

She watches Keiko take down Equalists with not only her Airbending but with hand-to-hand combat.  


A skill Lin didn’t know Keiko possessed until now.

Under normal circumstances, Keiko isn’t one to use offensive measures, but this wasn’t a normal circumstance.

The Lieutenant gets to his feet and goes after the Earthbender.

Lin shoots his cables at him.

He intercepts her them with his batons, sending a current through them to knock her over.

She screams in pain and Keiko turns around, “Mom!”

The Lieutenant stands over her and raises his electrified kali sticks.

Oogie approaches the island, Tenzin and Team Avatar look on.

They watch Keiko, she was hardly recognizable.

Aggressive.

“I’ve...I’ve never seen her like this...” Korra whispers, her eyes shot wide, she was stunned and a little horrified.

Tenzin wore the same expression, “neither have I.”

Keiko grabs one of the bola ropes from the belt of a knocked out Equalist and wraps it around the Lieutenant’s throat, she yanks it and he makes a choking sound, she pulls him away from her mother.

Lin looks up and watches Keiko, holding the Lieutenant like an animal on a leash, she kicks his kali sticks away and pulls hard on the rope, freeing him and sending the man stumbling, he drops to his knees and takes deep gulping breaths.

She circles the man and punches him in the chin, knocking him out.

Keiko rushes to her mother’s side and helps her up.

“Where...” Lin struggles, “where in the world did that come from?”

“I don’t know,” Keiko admits, “I’ve never been that...violent,” she says in shame, looking down at all the people she had hurt, she feels awful about it, even if they were the enemy.

She covers her face and starts to cry.

Oogie lands and Tenzin jumps off of the bison.

“Remind me to never get on her bad side,” Mako half-jokes and Korra punches him in the side.

“Ow! What was that for?”

He meets Korra’s scowling face and turns back to Keiko who’s shaking.

Tenzin puts his hand on her shoulder, “Keiko, are you alright?”

The girl shook her head and Bolin approaches cautiously.

Keiko sees him and sniffs, walking away from her parents.

He pulls her to him and she grips at his shirt, weeping openly against his chest.

Bolin rests his chin on her head, “shhh, it’s alright, you’re okay,” he soothes, holding her tightly against him and she slowly starts to calm down, breathing in time with his heartbeat.

Team Avatar help the White Lotus sentries tie up the Equalist’s.

“Lock them in the Temple’s basement,” Lin instructs.

Suddenly Keiko gasps and pulls away, looking at her father with wide eyes, “Pema!” She remembers and pushes herself out of Bolin’s arms.

Tenzin follows her inside, he hears the cry of a baby which prompts him to run faster.

“Pema!”

He walks into the room.

Pema is holding a baby and he smiles.

“Tenzin.”

Tenzin sits down on the bed and puts his hands on his wife's shoulders, “I'm here, Pema.”

“Our new son,” she sighs, full of happiness and exhaustion.

She hands the baby to Tenzin.

Tenzin touches baby's chin and he coos.

“Hello.”

Keiko, Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora peer into the room.

“Come, meet your new brother.”

Meelo walks into the room with his sisters, “a brother? Well, it's about time!”

They all sit down on the bed, looking down at the new addition to their family.

Ikki speaks to him first, “welcome, I'm Ikki, and this is Keiko, Jinora and Meelo. We have a super great family and we're so happy that you're a part of it.”

He coos and Jinora looks up at her parents.

“What're you gonna name him?” She puts her hands together in excitement, “can I pick?”

“We already chose a name,” Pema says, resting her head on Tenzin's shoulder.

“Rohan.”  


Lin, Korra, and Mako watch the family from the doorway.

Korra takes two steps forward, sadly.

“I'm so sorry to interrupt, but more airships are coming.”

Tenzin looks down at Rohan.

“Everything's not gonna be fine, is it, Daddy?” Ikki asks, worried.

Tenzin hands Rohan to Keiko and helps Pema out of bed.

Keiko holds the baby with one hand so Meelo could take the other.

She leads the children outside where Bolin and Asami are waiting, looking up at the airships.

Two more were on their way.

Rohan starts to fuss in her arms and she carefully hands the baby to Pema.

“What do you want to do, Tenzin?” Korra asks.

He sighs, “I need to protect my family, and get them as far away from this conflict as possible. If Amon got his hands on my children...I hate to even think of it.”

Lin steps forward, “If you're leaving, then I'm going with you.”

“But-“

“No arguments. You and your family are the last Airbenders. There's no way in the world I'm letting Amon take your bending away.”

Tenzin nods, “thank you, Lin. Korra, I want you to leave this island and hide for the time being.”

Korra squares her shoulders, determined, “I'm not giving up.”

“I'm not asking you to. I sent word to the United Forces. They will be here soon. And once my family is safe, I will return. With the reinforcements, we can turn the tide in this war.”

Korra sighs, “what you're saying is, we need to be patient.”

Tenzin puts his hand on her shoulder, “you’re learning well.”

Korra brightens up and she embraces Tenzin.

The Airbender’s rush to pack up a few necessities.

Lin goes with Keiko to the girl’s dormitory.

“What are you doing sleeping in here? Shouldn’t you be in the house?”

Keiko packs up extra clothes and sighs, “after you and dad broke up, I couldn’t stand being near Pema so I moved in here.” She explains, “and I like it, it’s quiet.”

She joins the rest of her family in the courtyard and hugs each of her friend's goodbye, but she holds onto Bolin the longest.

She smiles up at him sadly and jumps into the saddle.

Keiko looks down at her friends sadly, “stay safe.”

“You too,” Korra says and Lin joins them on the bison.

“Tenzin, if we're leaving, we'd better do it now.”

Tenzin nods, “Oogie, yip yip!”

The sky bison flies away from the island.

Korra and the team look up at them.

Two Equalist airships begin to chase them, as more airships invade the island.

One airship shoots out a cable near the team and Equalists come down on the island.

The White Lotus sentries run in front of Korra and her friends and take their stances.

“Go! We'll hold them off!”

Korra nods and jumps onto Naga.

“Everyone, climb on!”

Mako, Bolin and Asami hop onto Naga.

“Let's go, girl!”

Naga runs away as more Equalists come down and encircle the White Lotus sentries, spinning their bolas as they begin to fight.

As Team Avatar runs away, Bolin looks up and points at the Lieutenant.

“Moustache guy!”

The Lieutenant slides down the slope and jumps off to attack them.

Naga jumps up and uses her right paw to smack the Lieutenant off of the cliff face as they run past.

“Nice one, Naga!”

Naga runs to the pier and jumps into the water.

Korra bends a large water bubble around them as Naga swims to safety.

Republic City is still under siege.

Oogie is trying to evade the Equalist airships.

“They’re gaining on us!” Lin shouts.

The girls whimper and Keiko holds out her arms, they attach themselves to her, she whispers comforting words.

Tenzin cracks the reins, “faster, Oogie!”

Oogie speeds up, but an Equalist airship shoots out a large net at them.

Lin bends her cables to break the net apart and wraps one around the rope.

She stands and looks at the family with sorrow as they look at the airships in fear.

She looks away.

“Whatever happens to me, don't turn back!”

“Mom? What are you doing?”

Lin runs and jumps off Oogie, reeling herself up and landing on the airship.

She takes her stance and rips off a large section of the airship's metal roof.

There is an explosion and it begins to fall into the harbour below.

Lin bends a panel to catapult herself to the other airship.

She begins to rip it apart when Equalists come up behind her.

They wrap their bolas wrapped around her body and feet, electrocuting her into unconsciousness.

The last airship turns back as the family gazes at it in shock.

“That lady is my hero,” Meelo says, Tenzin lowers his gaze sadly.

“Yes she is.”

Keiko turns her head, fighting back tears.

Oogie flies to safety.

Team Avatar stands in large drainage pipe near the bay, where they watch in dismay as Air Temple Island is raided.

Mako places his hand on Korra's shoulder.

“Korra, we should get moving.”

Mako escorts Korra into the tunnel.

Asami looks disdainfully at them before she too, walks with them into the tunnel.

* * *

It’s dark and it’s raining.

An Equalist airship hovers over Air Temple Island.

Lin is forced to her knees in front of Amon, surrounded by Equalists.

Amon gives the woman an ultimatum, “tell me where the Avatar is and I'll let you keep your bending.”

“I won't tell you anything, you monster!”

“Very well.”

He walks behind Lin.

Dignified, Lin closes her eyes and Amon takes away her bending.

She falls to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Daybreak.

Iroh, general of the United Forces, stands at the bow of his ship and looks on.

“General, I just received a wire from the Avatar. She says Amon and his forces have gained control of the city. How do you want to respond?”

He turns to the messenger, “tell her we will be arriving in three days' time. And that I look forward to winning back Republic City, together.”

The messenger salutes, “as you wish, General Iroh.” 


	26. Chapter 26

Hiroshi Sato is standing on one of the bridges in Republic City Park.

He addresses a large crowd.

“It is a glorious day, my Equalist brothers and sisters! Amon has torn down the tyrannical bending government! He has declared bending illegal and he has the Avatar on the run. Our great leader has a vision for the future. One day soon, bending will no longer exist and we will live in a world where everyone is finally equal! The United Forces are on their way right now to try and stop that dream. But we will prevail!”

The crowd cheers loudly, almost deafening.  
Near the back, two chi blockers look at each other, one male, the other female, before they turn and walk away.

They push aside a clump of bushes and enter a small clearing with a large rock in the center.

One bends the rock aside, revealing a hole in the ground and both jump inside as the rock slides back over.

The chi blockers have removed their masks and revealed themselves to be Korra and Mako, walking down a dim hallway.

“Can you believe Hiroshi?! ‘The Avatar's on the run’. I'm not running from anyone! Let's go back up there and knock some heads; they'll never know what hit 'em.” Korra says, angrily.

Mako puts a hand on her shoulder, “relax, General Iroh's coming with an entire fleet of battleships. Then Amon will be the one who's running.”

Korra frowns, “I hate this ‘being patient’ stuff.”

They turn and walk on.

Asami and Bolin are sitting on crates. 

They’re underneath the park, surrounded by homeless tents and other structures.

Asami is watching in amusement as Bolin plays with Pabu.

She glares as she hears Korra and Mako approaching.

She and Bolin stand up and walk over to greet them.

“You two were gone a while,” Asami says, suspicious.

Mako looks annoyed, “we were doing reconnaissance.”

Asami crossed her arms, irritated, “whatever.”

Gommu gets in between the two groups.

“Welcome back! Hope you worked up an appetite, 'cause dinner is served.”

Gommu stirring a pot of suspicious-looking stew and pouring some into a dish.

“Thanks so much for letting us hide out with you the past few days.”

Korra, Mako, Gommu, Bolin, and Asami sitting at a table.

Mako and Asami hold bowls of stew.

“Honored to oblige.” He gives a bowl to Bolin and fills it with stew.

“My associates and I heartily oppose Amon's so-called "Equalist" policies. We got benders and nonbenders living together down here, but do you see us fightin'? No siree, we've figured out how to harmoniously co-exist.”

“You are a wise and noble hobo,” Bolin says, he shovels stew into his mouth, “mmm, this is the best-tasting street gruel I've ever had. Seriously!”

Gommu smiles at the praise, “I culled it from the finest dumpsters the city has to offer!”

Asami who already has the spoon in her mouth looks a little green and spits it out, coughing a little.

She surreptitiously puts the food on the floor behind her.

Pabu crawls up behind her and eats from the bowl.

Suddenly Bolin sighs and stirs his dinner.

”You okay, bro?” Mako asks and Bolin and he looks up with a worried expression.

”I just...I can’t stop thinking about Keiko,” he admits, “I don’t know if she’s safe or-or if she’s been captured.” He put his bowl down and messed up his hair in silent frustration, “I can’t sleep because all I can think about is ‘what if Amon got her?’” He looks up at them with teary eyes.

”Bolin, Keiko is safe, she and her family are safe and they’re at the Western Air Temple,” Asami assures, placing a hand on his shoulder, Bolin stands and he yells, he doesn’t mean to yell.

”But what if she’s not, Asami?! What if Amon already took her bending and I wasn’t there to try and save her?!”

The group watches on, wide-eyed at his outburst.

He sits back down and presses the heels of his hands in his eyes to try and stop the tears from flowing.

”Every time I close my eyes I see Amon and her terrified face and she’s screaming for me and I can’t help her,” his voice cracks.

The group gets up from their seats and surround Bolin, they pull him into a hug and let him cry.

Gommu clears his throat, “so who is this Keiko? You’re girlfriend or somethin’?”

Korra, Asami and Mako glare at the homeless man, who throws up his shoulders in his defence.

Bolin sniffles and wipes his eyes with his arm and says, “something like that.”

* * *

A few nights ago, Tenzin and his family stopped for the night.

In the morning they would continue their journey to the Western Air Temple.

Keiko is looking after Rohan so Pema could get some sleep.

Her siblings are still awake, sitting around the fire.

Although Meelo looks like he might fall asleep at any moment.

Keiko swaddles Rohan nice and snug after changing him and her father clears his throat after not speaking for a long while.

“So...what’s going on with you and Bolin? I notice you two are...awfully close...” he asked awkwardly, turning away.

Keiko sighs and holds Rohan against her chest, “nothing,” she says but her father gives her a look, suggesting he might not believe her.

“Dad, please. Nothing is going on between Bolin and me, we’re friends, he’s my friend,” Keiko insists.

“Uh-huh,” Tenzin eyes her suspiciously and she sighs in frustration.

She stands up and hands her baby brother to him, “I’m going for a walk,” she announced.

“Don’t go far,” Tenzin says and she waves him off, “I won’t.”

Keiko made it through a few bushes when she heard a noise behind her.

Turning around she discovered there was nothing, must’ve been her imagination.

She took a step back and bumped into something, it twisted her arms behind her back and wrapped its arm around her neck, squeezing so she couldn’t scream.

“Hello, little Airbender,” spoke the voice of Amon’s Lieutenant.   


* * *

Present day.

Korra is sitting next to Naga.

She hears footsteps and finds Mako walking toward her.

“Can't sleep either?” He asks.

“No, I have this awful pit in my stomach.”

Mako sits down next to Korra, “me too.”

Korra shrugs, somewhat happily, “it’s so crazy. A few months ago I was in the South Pole practicing for my firebending test, and now I'm in the middle of an all-out war,” she finishes on a sad note.

“I know, we didn't even know each other then. And now, I can't imagine my life without you in it.”

Korra looks at him, surprised.

“You're the most loyal, brave, and selfless person I've ever known.”

Korra’s face reddened, “I think you're pretty incredible too, but... you already knew that.”

Mako and Korra look at each other, but Korra looks away abruptly.

“I should probably try to get some sleep.

“Me too. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Korra leans back against Naga's side, looking sad.

At Air Temple Island, Amon is waiting on a platform as the Lieutenant drags a blindfolded man up to him.

The man is forced to his knees and has his blindfold removed as Amon approaches.

“You will now be cleansed of your impurity.”

He stands behind the man, who watches with fear, and removes the man's bending.

The officer collapses and falls over from exhaustion.

Amon turns to his Lieutenant, “next.”

The Lieutenant nods and walks over to get the next victim, standing in a long line of benders, blindfolded and hands bounded, waiting in fear for Amon to strip them of their bending.   


* * *

Across Yue Bay, through the thick fog the next morning, Team Avatar is hiding in a drainage pipe.

Mako looks around and beckons the others closer, “coast is clear.”

The four run out of the pipe and climb an access stairway to an observation deck above. They crouch by the railing as Bolin scans the bay with a telescope.

“Once the United Forces arrive, we need to be ready to help in any way we can.”

“They're here!” Mako calls, pointing across the water.

Bolin gasps and places the telescope to his eye again. “Whoops!” He flips telescope around, looking through the right way.

Bolin catches sight of a dim shape through the mist.

There’s a fleet of ships steaming into the harbour.

General Iroh at the head of the lead ship.

He looks around, suspicious, “hmm...Amon had to know we were coming. So why aren't we meeting any resistance?”

Korra is also suspicious, “wait a second...where are the Equalist airships?” She asks, looking around.

Mako snatches the telescope from his brother and runs to the end of the deck, scanning the city. “I don't see any mecha tanks, either.

He to look at Korra in concern who looks back the same way.

“Something's not right,” Iroh says.

An explosion on a nearby ship interrupts him, followed by more as mines float up, bobbing in the water.

“It's a trick!”

Team Avatar watches the explosions from the deck.

Korra leaps off the edge and uses Waterbending to pull herself into the bay.

She begins to swim toward the conflict.

Iroh speaks over a loudspeaker, “Water and Earthbender’s, detonate those mines!”

Suddenly he hears something and pulls away from the speaker, “what is that sound?”

Iroh runs out of the control room and on deck, where a buzzing sound is heard, but can’t be seen.

Korra surfaces and looks up.

On the deck as Mako points the telescope toward Republic City.

“What now?”

Behind the skyscrapers, a group of flying objects can be seen in the mist, which resolve themselves into two fleets of biplanes.

“Where does Hiroshi find the time to keep inventing new evil machines?!” Bolin asks, angry and confused.

The planes fly across the bay.

Hiroshi Sato pilots one.

He pulls a lever and bombs drop from the underside.

Iroh’s fleet is bombarded.

The bombs are causing major damage.

One plane drops down two torpedoes into the water and Korra dodges them only for them to hit the side of a ship.

The explosion forces Korra back but she swims to the ship again.  


In the basement of the arena, in a makeshift prison cell, Keiko and her family wait.

Rohan begins to cry but she quickly leans over Pema’s shoulder to rub his tummy, soothing the infant.

Across from her Ikki starts to cry and she walks over.

Keiko gathers the girl and slides down the wall, holding her close.

Jinora and Meelo follow and she rocks them, whispering a lullaby.

Tenzin was in another cell, somewhere, away from them.

At the moment, Keiko was the only thing keeping her step-mother and siblings together.

Suddenly the door opens, filling the space with yellow light.

Keiko’s eyes widen in fear when she sees Amon standing there, hands behind his back.

One of the Equalists he brought with him, unlocked the cell and grabbed Keiko by her hair.

She struggled against him.

Her family cries out in alarm, yelling at him to let her go.

A chi blocker jabs her in the arms and legs so she couldn’t bend.   
  
They restrain her hands behind her back and hold her there.

Amon approaches her and she starts to shake with fear.

He cups her chin in his hand, looking her in the eye.

“I’ll ask you one more time, if you tell me where the Avatar is, I’ll let you keep your bending.”

Her fear turns defiance, she sneers at him and spits in his face.

“I won’t tell you anything.”

Amon wipes the spit off and growls behind his mask, he backs up and backhands her across the face, hard enough to split her lip.

Blood trickles down and he grabs her chin again, “I’m taking your bending first.”

They untie her and throw her back into the cell roughly, locking the door.


	27. Chapter 27

In their hideout, Korra uses her healing abilities on Iroh's wound.

“I was prepared to deal with Sato's mecha tanks, but not these new high-speed aircraft,” Iroh says.

“I know,” she moves the water around his wound.

“Every time we think we have an advantage, Amon outsmarts us.”

“No matter what our plan is, he always has a better one.”

“Amon is winning so far, but we're not out of the fight yet,” Iroh assures, determined, it puts a bit of pep in Bolin’s step.

“I like this man's confidence! So, how are we not out of the fight?”

Iroh stands up, clutching his wound, “a second wave of reinforcements is on the way, but I need to warn them.” He turns to Korra, “do you still have a way to get a message out?”

“I know just the man for the job.”

They find Gommu and he sets up his telegraph machine.

Iroh and Team Avatar stand behind him.

“And who is the recipient of this top-secret message?”

“Commander Bumi.”

Gommu cracks his fingers.

“Second division of the United Forces.”

“Tenzin's brother?” Korra asks.

Iroh nods, “yes, a bit of a wild man, but the bravest commander you'll ever meet.”

“Ready, sir.”

Gommu taps out the telegram as Iroh speaks.

“Fleet ambushed and destroyed by Equalist aircraft. Retreat to Red Sand Island until my signal. Do not approach city until you receive the all-clear.”

Gommu finishes the telegram.

Iroh rolls out a map of Republic City.

“Now comes the hard part. We need to ground those aircrafts. Otherwise, Bumi's fleet would never be able to retake the city.”

Mako points at the map, “they flew in from this direction. The airfield must be somewhere over this mountain range,” he explains.

“Everyone get ready, we leave at dawn.”

“Wait, I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you tomorrow.”

“What?”

“Why not?”

Korra looks down, “I'm sick and tired of hiding from Amon. It's time I face him.”

“That's not a good plan. We need to stick together,” Iroh says.

“I'm not waiting for him to hunt me down. My guts tell me it's time to end this, on my terms.”

“Korra, this is not a mission you should be handling alone.”

“She won't be,” Mako walks up and stands by Korra.

“I'm going with you,” he tells her.

“You don't have to do that.”

Mako nods, “yes, I do.”

Asami glances with shock and sadness.

Iroh has his hand on his chin, deep in thought.

“Hmm...my grandfather would respect the Avatar's instinct. So will I.”   


* * *

In the morning, Korra and Bolin are in their Equalist disguises.

Bolin walks up to Mako and they hug.

“Love you, little bro.”

In the background, Gommu sniffles and cries at the scene.

“Love you back, big bro.”

He walks up to Korra, who is standing next to Naga.

“Korra, Amon is a nasty dude. Be careful.”

She hugs Bolin, “I will, Good luck. If you're going into the mountains, you should bring Naga.”

She hugs Naga, “take good care of Bolin for me.”

Naga licks Bolin.

“Asami.”

She turns around to face him.

“I'm sorry things got so messed up between us, but whatever happens today, I want you to know how much I care about you.”

Asami kisses his cheek, “I care about you, too.”

Korra stands next to Mako and they walk away. Asami jumps onto Naga's back, joining Pabu, Bolin, and Iroh.

“Good fortune and success to you, valiant heroes!” Gommu calls after them.

Korra and Mako walk down a large sewage pipe.

They continue into the bay and Korra bends a bubble around their bodies so they can breathe.

On the shores of Air Temple Island, Korra and Mako surface.

They put on their masks and climb the rocky shores.

They duck and watch Amon board one of the airships.

“There's Amon.”

“We need to get into the temple. Then, when he returns...”

“We ambush him,” Korra finishes.

They walk toward the Temple but stop when they hear a voice from behind.

“What are you two doing here?” The Lieutenant asks and they turn around.

“Uh, we were just transferred.”

“Well, you're getting transferred again. Amon wants extra security at the arena today.”

“The arena? For what?” Mako asks, confused.

“The rally. You should've been briefed about this.”

Korra bows, “we’ll be there, sir.”

As the Lieutenant walks away she whispers to Mako, “I know another way in.”

They scoot to the side slowly and stealthily.

Korra lifts a wooden panel on a wall and they climb in.

“Let's hide in the attic.”

They climb up through the attic's trapdoor.

“Uh, we're not alone up here.”

Korra turns and sees Tarrlok sitting on the floor, locked behind bars.

“Tarrlok?”

Korra and Mako take off their chi blocker masks.

“I don't suppose you're here to rescue me,” he says, almost bitterly.

Korra walks up to the cell, “we had no idea you were here. Are there other prisoners on the island?”

“No, I'm the only one.”

Korra crosses her arms, “and what makes you so special?”

“I'm Amon's brother.”

Korra gasps.

“Amon is from the Northern Water Tribe. He's a waterbender and a bloodbender, just like I was.”

Korra stares in surprise, “what?”

Korra and an equally shocked Mako glance at each other and back at Tarrlok.

Mako takes a step forward to Tarrlok's cell.

“Did you know this all along?”

“No, not until after he captured me.”

“How did your brother end up becoming Amon?”

Tarrlok tells his story.

“It all began with my father, Yakone. With the help of his former gang, he escaped prison and underwent surgery to change his appearance. He assumed a new identity, and settled down in the Northern Water Tribe. That's where he met, my mother, a warm, caring woman. Before long, they started a family together. Amon was the firstborn, under the name Noatak. I was born three years later. Noatak was a good-natured kid, always looking out for me. Those were the good years. Before my brother and I discovered we were Waterbenders. At first we were excited by our new abilities, but our training brought out a different side of my father.”

“ _Tarrlok, you'd better shape up or you'll be out here in the cold all night until you get it right.”_

“ _I'm trying, but-“_

_“Try harder!”_

_Tarrlok drops his glob of water._

_“Your brother was never this sloppy.”_

_Tarrlok rubs his eyes as he tears up._

_“Dad, he'll get it. He just needs time.”_

_“Don't talk back to me, son! Ever!”_

“Even back then, my brother wanted everyone to be treated fairly and equally. When I was seven, my father took me and Noatak on a hunting trip far away from our home. He told us his true identity was Yakone, Republic City's most notorious crime boss, and that he was once a Bloodbender of rare skill.”

_“What's Bloodbending?” Young Tarrlok asks._

_“The most powerful and feared form of bending in the world. It was declared illegal thanks to that coward, Katara. Our family has the strongest line of bloodbenders in history. You boys have this power inside of you, and I will teach you to master it.”_

_Noatak looks away with a slight sigh, and asks his father a question, “what happened to your bending, Dad?”_

_“The Avatar stole it from me.”_

_He stands, “that’s why I brought you out here, to learn your destiny. You two will become Bloodbenders of the highest order. When the time is right, you will claim Republic City and you will destroy the Avatar. You must avenge me. That is your purpose in life.”_

“The good days were behind us. Every full moon, our father took us on another supposed ‘hunting trip,’ where he secretly trained us in Bloodbending. We kept the truth from my mother.”

_Noatak Bloodbends the creature, making it stand up and forces its head back. The yak groans in pain._

_“Stop! You're hurting it!”_

_“Toughen up, Tarrlok! You'll need a thicker skin for this.”_

_Noatak lets the yak down and it runs away along with rest of the herd._

_“Very good son, very good.”  
_

A few years later, my father taught us to Bloodbend anytime, without the need of the full moon. We practiced constantly, and I hated every minute of it.”

_Tarrlok jumps over the small ledge and uses Bloodbending to make the wolves stand in a row and move from side to side. Closer shot of the wolves whining before Tarrlok lets them go._

“I had no stomach for manipulating helpless animals. My brother, however, seemed to revel in this newfound power.”

_Noatak breathes and forces the wolves to come back._

“He was a prodigy, mastering my father's psychic Bloodbending technique by the time he was fourteen.”

_Noatak concentrates and the wolves turn around in unison. Noatak lifts his head, making the wolves rise in the air._

_Young Tarrlok gasps, terrified._

_Yakone looks surprised at first, but he smiles with sadistic glee._

_Noatak lowers the wolves, making each one bow to him._

_“That's the way it's done. That's what you need to strive for.”_

“Even though Noatak was my father's favorite, it wasn't any easier for him. He carried the burden of all Yakone's expectations and demands. Something changed in Noatak over the years, the loving brother I once knew became cold and detached. Our father pushed us to extremes, and one day, he made us Bloodbend each other.”

_“Noatak, go!”_

_Noatak inhales, and Tarrlok struggles against the Bloodbending._

_Tarrlok falls to his knees, and Noatak narrows his eyes, making him lean back._

_“Excellent.”_

_Noatak bows to his father and frees Tarrlok. “Tarrlok, your turn.”_

_Tarrlok gets to his feet, “no, I won't do it.”_

_“Bloodbend your brother, Tarrlok!”_

“ _That felt awful. I don't want to do that to anyone. I never want to Bloodbend again!” Young Tarrlok rubs the tears from his eyes._

_“You're a disgrace, a weakling. I'll teach you a lesson you insubordinate-“_

_Yakone and struggles against Noatak's Bloodbending._

_Noatak moves to stand in front of his brother, “stay away from him.”_

_“How dare you Bloodbend me!”_

“ _What're you gonna do about it? You're the weak one.”_

_He Bloodbends Yakone onto his knees._

_“You always say Bloodbending is the most powerful thing in the world, but it isn't. The Avatar is. He took your bending away. What could be more powerful than that?”_

_Yakone stains, “I made you what you are. You're mine.”_

“ _We're your sons, not your tools of revenge.”_

_He turns to Tarrlok, “let’s go. We can run away from him. Forever._

_“Run away? But what about Mom? We can't just leave her.”_

_Noatak narrows his eyes, “he was right about you. You are a weakling.”_

_Noatak throws Yakone a distance away and runs off into the blizzard._

_“Noatak! Don't leave! Please! Noatak!” Young Tarrlok begs.  
_

“My father and I searched for days, but we never found a sign of Noatak. We thought he perished in that storm. My mother was never the same after the loss of my brother. My father stopped training me. With Noatak gone, his hopes for revenge withered. And he passed away, a few years later.”

Tarrlok’s story ends.

“That's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard.”

Tarrlok stands, “Avatar Korra. I am truly sorry for all that I did to you. I thought I was better than my father, but his ghost still shaped me. I became a soldier of revenge, just like he wanted me to be. And so did my brother. The revolution may be built on a lie, but I think Amon truly believes bending is the source of all evil in the world.”

“How did you figure out Amon is your brother?” Mako asks.

“When he took my bending, the sensation was somehow familiar. I later recognized it as my brother's Bloodbending grip.”

“So, he somehow uses bloodbending to take people's bending.”

“I don't know how he does it, but then again, I've never encountered a bender as strong as Noatak.”

“How in the world do we beat him?”

Mako sighs, “we can't. Any attack we throw at him, he'll redirect with his mind. That's how he's been able to challenge any bender.”

Korra paces, “so much for our ambush. If we stay here, we're toast. But there's another way to beat him.”

“How?”

“This whole time, Amon has been one step ahead of us. But finally we have the advantage. We know the truth about him. If we expose him as a bender in front of all his supporters...”

“At the rally.”

“...could take away his true power!”

“And undermine this whole revolution!”

Korra turns to Tarrlok, “thank you, for your help.”

Tarrlok nods his head.

Mako starts to leave, but Korra stops him.

“We can't just leave him here.”

Tarrlok grabs the bars of his cell, “go, Amon can't know anyone spoke with me. Defeat him. Put an end to this sad story.”


	28. Chapter 28

Bolin, Asami, and Iroh are riding on Naga in the mountains.

They watch as the biplanes fly above.

The group gets off Naga.

“I think we've found our secret airfield. Bolin, once we get down there, I need you to tear up those runways. We can't let those aircraft take off.”

Bolin salutes, “aye, aye, Captain!”

He realizes his mistake and hurriedly does another salute, “ooh, General, General.”

He starts walks with Iroh and Asami but hears Naga whine.

“Alright, you guys wait here until we get back, okay?”

He sees Naga raise her foot and he stops her by holding up his hand, “uh-uh, stay.”

Naga whines and lays down as Pabu chitters.

Bolin joins Iroh and Asami.

“Why would there be fence posts, but no fence?”

They try to walk through but subsequently cry out in pain as they are electrocuted.

They collapse onto the ground, unconscious.   


An Equalist opens the cell, they have Tenzin already in chains, mouth gagged.   


Two pull out the children and do the same.

Keiko is grabbed by Amon personally and slammed against the bars, she cries out.

Tenzin struggles against his bindings, his enraged shouting is muffled. 

Inside the cell Pema looks on in horror, holding Rohan close to herself.

Amon grabs Keiko and lifts her up, he grabs her chin.

“I’ll give you one last chance, tell me where the Avatar is.” He runs his thumb along the cut on her bottom lip, “and I’ll let you keep your bending.”

Without warning, Keiko bit down on his thumb and he yelled in pain.

He struggles to free his finger from her teeth.

Keiko glowers at him and he growls in anger.

Amon balls up his fist and punches her, hard enough to leave a bruise on her cheek.

She looks around, dazed.

Amon backs away from her and she's tied up and gagged, but not in line with her family, but on her own.

”Not so tough now, are ya? Little Airbender,” the Lieutenant chuckles, she lunges at him and he flinches.   
  


The Arena guarded by an Equalist airship and mecha tanks.

Inside, Korra and Mako stand guard on a balcony with their hands behind their backs.

They nod at each other, ready to expose Amon as a fraud.

Amon rises from beneath the platform.

“Thank you all for joining me on this historic occasion!”

The crowd cheers.

“When I was a boy, a firebender struck down my entire family and left me scarred. That tragic event began my quest to equalize the world.”

“That's a lie, Amon!”

Amon's eyes widen and he looks up, where Korra and Mako remove their masks.

“Or should I call you Noatak?”

Amon narrows his eyes.

The Lieutenant turns to Amon, “you want her taken out?”

Amon raises his hand.

“No.”

He walks forward on the stage.

“Everyone calm down, we have nothing to fear from the Avatar. Let's hear what she has to say.”

“Amon has been lying to you. The Spirits didn't give him the power to take people's bending away. He uses Bloodbending to do it.”

Korra points to Amon.

“Amon is a Waterbender!”

The crowd gasps in surprise.

“What is this nonsense?” The Lieutenant asks

Amon chuckles, “you’re desperate, Avatar. Making up stories about me is a pathetic last resort.”

“Your family wasn't killed by a Firebender!” She looks down at the crowd, “his father was Yakone!”

The crowd gasps.

“And his brother is Councilman Tarrlok!”

The Lieutenant sports a doubting look at first before angrily looking at Amon.

“Hmph, an amusing tale, but I will show you the truth.”

He removes his hood, unties his mask and takes it off.

The crowd gasps in surprise when his ‘scarred’ face is shown.

He points at his ‘scar’, “this is what a firebender did to me.”

Korra is taken aback in surprise, “what?”

She looks at Mako.

Murmurs break out in the crowd as Amon puts his mask back on, someone shouts.

“The Avatar is lying!”

“I'm telling you!” She points at Amon, “he’s a Waterbender.”

She turns to Mako, defeated, “they don't believe me. It didn't work!”

Mako backs toward Korra, “we said what we had to. Let's get out of here.”

“I wouldn't leave yet, Avatar. You'll miss the main event.”

Korra and Mako turn around after hearing that.

A part of the stage rises with Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo chained to each pole and gagged.

Korra stares in disbelief, “no...they got away.”

She and Mako share a confused look.

“We saw them get away!”

She doesn’t see Keiko.

Fear settles in Korra’s spine, she grips the balcony.

“Keiko Beifong! Where is she?!” Korra shouts.

Amon snaps his fingers and his Lieutenant pulls a chain, pulling a gagged Keiko on stage.

“No...” Korra whispers in horror, “No! Amon, let them go!”   
  


At the aircraft base in the mountains.

Asami lies in her cell. Iroh and Bolin are tied back to back.

“Asami.”

Asami stirs and sits up.

“Asami, I know I have hurt you...and I am sorry. But I believe that one day, you will come to your senses and we can be a family again.”

Asami scowls, “are you insane?! How can we be a family after everything you've done?! Mom would hate you for what you've become!” She says, angry.

Hiroshi Sato becomes enraged.

“How dare you? I am avenging her death!”

An Equalist comes up behind him, “the airplanes are ready for take-off, sir.”

“Good, annihilate the fleet.”

Iroh and Bolin gasp and share a look of confusion.

“That's right, General. I intercepted your message to Commander Bumi. I know exactly where they're hiding.”

Iroh glares at Hiroshi Sato as he walks away.

“How are we gonna get out of here?” Asami asks.

Iroh turns to Bolin, “I don't suppose you know how to Metalbend?”

“That is a negative, sir.”

Iroh pouts.

Suddenly, Naga breaks down the warehouse door.

“Naga! Over here!” Bolin whispers.

Naga sees them and stands up on her hind legs.

She brings her paws forward with a roar and breaks down the cell door.

Pabu climbs onto Bolin's lap.

“Who needs a Metalbender? We got Naga! Yeah!”

Pabu chews through the ropes and they dart out the door.

“I'm going after those airplanes!” Iroh calls.

Naga turns and pushes Bolin onto her back. “Ahh! No, Naga!”

Asami notices the empty mecha tanks and jumps inside one.

“Huh, what do you know...just like a Future Industries forklift.”

Iroh manages to board one of the planes with his bending.

He throws the pilot off, who thankfully has a parachute and tries steers the plane on his own.

Bolin groans as he destroys the runway with his bending.

Three mecha tanks try to attack Bolin with cables, but Naga catches them and pulls them, causing the mecha tanks to topple over and almost hit Bolin, who stands still as if not noticing it.

Bolin backs away “whoa! Thanks, Naga!”

Inside the warehouse, Asami destroys one of the planes with the mecha tank.

“Asami, what do you think you're doing?” Hiroshi Sato calls, inside his own tank.

“You are aiding the very people who took your mother away!”

Asami bites the inside of her cheek, angered, “you don't feel love for Mom anymore. You're too full of hatred!”

“You ungrateful, insolent child!”

He snarls with anger.

Hiroshi Sato drives the tank and advances on Asami.

Asami tries to stop him by launching the wires but missed.

Asami's eyes widen in fear as his tank hits, throwing her mecha tank into one of the planes and destroying the faceplate.

“I now see there is no chance to save you!”

Hiroshi is about to strike Asami with the hand of his mecha tank when Bolin throws large rocks at his tank.

“Mr. Sato. You are. A horrible. Father!” He shouts, between rock-throwing.

Asami gains momentum and attacks her father. She rips the right arm of his tank off and throws him back.

Hiroshi groans in pain as Asami forces the opening of the mecha tank.

Hiroshi looks with fear at his daughter.

Asami looks at him with hatred.

Her gaze eventually changes into pity.

Hiroshi uses this moment and tries to attack her, but Asami is able to dodge it, which he used as a diversion in order to attempt an escape.

“You really are a horrible father.” She says, full of sadness and regret.   
  


Meanwhile, Iroh is fighting the airplanes.

Iroh generates lightning and directs it to the middle plane, it crashes into the plane beside it.

One pilot shoots an explosive bola at Iroh's plane, it to gets caught up in the main propeller forcing Iroh to bail out before the plane explodes.

As Iroh free-falls, he uses his bending to propel himself to another plane.

He shoots fire to disable one of the propellers on the plane in front of him.

Iroh kicks the pilot off the plane and takes control of it.

A bomb manages to hit the rear end of the plane.

Iroh tries to control the plane while another one above him tries to drop another bomb.

He quickly uses his bending and shoots it, the plane above him explodes.

While his plane is set to crash into Amon's mask on the stone face of Aang, he quickly jumps out and grabs the Equalist banner, causing it to tear.

He hangs in midair and watches the mask fall off the statue.

“Thanks for looking out for me, Aang.”   
  


Back at the arena. 

Amon raises his arms in victory.

“Tonight, I rid the world of Airbending, forever.”

“Amon, let them go!”

“You're welcome to come down here and try to stop me.” He says almost mockingly.

Mako grabs Korra’s arm, “he’s trying to bait you.”

Korra tries to wiggle free from Mako’s grip, “I don't care! We have to save them! Please!” Korra looks down at Keiko, “she’s my best friend, please!” Korra begs, tears forming in her cyan eyes.

Mako lets her go and she runs to jump off the balcony and onto the stage when Equalist’s rush forward and hold them back.

“The Avatar needs to be reminded of the power I possess.”

Amon grabs Keiko’s chain and yanks her forward.

He removes her gag, revealing her cut and bruised face.

“Any last words?”

Keiko turns around and looks at her family, “I love you.”

She turns around and looks up at Korra, her tear-stained face, “don’t cry for me.”

Amon pulls her centre stage and pushes her down onto her knees.

Keiko feels Amon seize control of her from the inside, but she doesn’t flinch.

She closes her eyes and keeps her head up high, the screams of Korra and her family are distant in her ears.

Amon grabs her by the back of the neck, tears flow down her face.

His thumb pressed against her forehead, at the bottom of her tattoo.

Memories flash before her eyes, she remembers sitting in a chair while Pema shaved her hair, the dark brown locks fell into her hands.

She remembers her father giving her the arrows as carefully and as gently as he could.

She remembers her small, little anointment ceremony with only the acolytes and her family at attendance.

She remembers being declared a Master.

She remembers teaching her sisters.  


She remembers teaching Meelo for the first time, how in awe he was at her bending.

She remembers teaching them the Air Scooter.

She remember’s Korra’s first day of Airbending training. 

She remembers.

Her bending was taken from her.

And then...she falls.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s too hot and humid, I can’t sleep in these conditions so here’s the chapter I wrote earlier that I was saving until tomorrow.  
> It’s also kinda long.

A loud, but soft sigh escapes Keiko’s lips.

The crowd shield themselves from the gust of air, strong enough to shatter the windows.

When it was over Amon let Keiko go and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Mako saw his window of opportunity when Amon started making his way to Tenzin.

Mako shoots lightning and directs it to Amon, who dodges the blast and rolls over to the Lieutenant.

Mako and Korra use Firebending to jump onto the wall and balance themselves vertically to run across it to the stage.

They dodge bola’s.

They attack the Equalist’s with fire to get them away from the Airbenders.

The crowd disperses and runs away from the stage.

Mako continues to fight the Equalist’s.

Korra runs to free the Airbender’s.

She unties the gag around Tenzin's mouth.

She produces a flame on her finger and begins to burn the metal chains binding Tenzin.

“Where are Pema and the baby?”

“In prison.”

Korra breaks the metal chains on his feet.

Tenzin immediately runs and picks Keiko up.

Korra moves to free the kids.

Mako drives the Equalist’s and the Lieutenant off stage.

When the kids were free, Korra approached Keiko with shaky hands.

She holds the chains on her wrists still and melts them off, they clatter to the ground and Tenzin pulls her closer, turning to his other children, they look up at him with the same sadness.

Korra opens a door and they all run off stage.

“Get them out of here. We'll create a diversion.”

Tenzin nods in understanding.

“Let's go get your mother and the baby.”

The Airbender’s run down the hall.

Amon bursts through the other door.

When he starts running, Korra blocks his way with a wall of fire and makes another one to be safe.

Mako enters a room with Korra behind him.

Amon jumps through the wall and looks to see where they have gone.

He hears the door swing and enters that room.

Korra hears Amon's footsteps.

Amon continues to walk past Korra's hiding place and stops for a moment before continuing.

Korra breathes a sigh of relief but suddenly writhes in pain as Amon Bloodbends her out from under the table and into the air.

Mako tries to stop Amon from Bloodbending Korra, throwing several fire punches.

“Let her go!”

Amon dodges each attack and Bloodbends Mako into submission.

He lifts him into the air.

He slams both of them on the ground and Bloodbends Mako in place on the floor, and Korra in a kneeling position.

Amon walks around Korra and places his hand on her neck.

“No!” The Avatar strained.

“Korra!”

Amon places his other hand on her forehead.

He lets her go as her body slumps on the ground.

“I told you I would destroy you.”  
  


Keiko woke with a groan, blinking slowly.

“Dad?” Her voice was weak and hoarse.

Suddenly Tenzin couldn’t hold it in anymore, he falls to his knees and starts to cry, holding her close.

He held her like he had when she was a baby.

And she was, still his baby.

The other children gathered around.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he sobs.

“Why are you sorry? It wasn’t you’re fault,” she says, lifting her hand to wipe a tear away.

“I couldn’t save you, I couldn’t stop him.”

“There wasn’t anything you could’ve done.”

She slowly pushed herself from his arms and stood, but she was weak still and hand to use the wall for support.

She turned back around and smiles, full of reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

“Come,” she held her hand out for him to take, “let’s go get Pema and the baby.”   
  


“Finally, you are powerless.”

Korra tries to hit Amon but is too weak from the loss of her bending to do it and misses.

The Lieutenant sees what Amon has done.

“Amon! Everything the Avatar said is true, isn't it? I just saw you bloodbend her.”

He removes his mask and smashes it with his feet. He’s hurt and angry.

“You traitor! I dedicated my life to you!”

Takes out his kali sticks and runs forward to attack Amon.

Amon stops him with Bloodbending and lifts him into the air.

“You've served me well, Lieutenant.”

Amon casts the Lieutenant aside into a pile of wood and walks toward Mako.

He Bloodbend’s his hands, but Mako manages to electrocute him with lightning strong enough to send him flying.

He sends two Firebending blasts at Amon, but the blasts hit the surrounding wood and trap him.

Mako picks up Korra and carries her bridal style, running into the hallway.

“Mako...my bending,” Korra says weakly.

“Everything will be all right! We just need to get out of here.”

Amon comes running behind, silently.

He Bloodbend’s Mako, causing him to drop Korra and she slides across the floor.

Amon tosses Mako around like a rag-doll.

“I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that.”

He bends Mako into submission.

“It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented. Almost.”

Korra looks up at Mako and Amon and gasps.

“No!”

She throughs a punch, it’s amplified with Airbending.

It pushes Amon away from Mako.

“Impossible!”

Korra looks down at her hands, “I-I can Airbend?”

She stands up straight and yells with confidence, “I can Airbend!”

Korra attacks Amon with a flurry of air blasts. Despite his attempts to block, he is flung back and slides to a stop on his side in front of a window.

He stretches out his hand.

Korra’s progress is immediately halted due to the Bloodbending grip Amon is exerting.

Amon stands up and strengthens his grip on Korra, now using both hands.

Korra’s face is contorted in pain and the effort it costs to resist his hold.

“No...you...don’t!”

She overcomes it and kicks Amon through the window.

As Amon falls, his mask comes undone.

The crowd gasps in horror as someone falls into Yue Bay.

“Did you see what happened?”

The crowd sees Amon's mask float to the surface.

Korra and Mako walk up to the shattered window as cries of the protesters grow.

“You bending tyrant!”

“Evil Avatar!”

As he is gradually sinking, the water washes away his ‘scar’.

Desperate to save himself, Noatak, no longer Amon, bends a spout to get to the surface.

As he gasps for air he rides the water high above the crowd, he turns to see people looking at him in shock.

“He's Waterbending!”

“He is a bender.”

“Whoa!”

“The scar is fake.”

“The Avatar was telling the truth.”

Noatak looks angrily at Korra, which she reciprocates, before jumping into the water again.

As Noatak escapes, Mako tries to stop him, but he misses every shot.

After Noatak escapes, Korra and Mako hug each other.   
  


Air Temple Island.

Noatak climbs the ladder and looks on to where Tarrlok is imprisoned.

“Noatak.”

“It’s over, brother, I'm sorry for what I had to do to you.”

Tarrlok sighs deeply and looks down at the floor, “our father set us on this path, fate caused us to collide.”

He looks up at his brother.

“I should have left with you when we were boys.”

Noatak opens the cell door, “leave with me now. We have a second chance. We can start over, together. Please, you're all I have left in the world.”   
  


On the docks they waited, Tenzin had found Lin in one of the cells down in the arena’s basement.

Lin examines the black and purple bruise on Keiko’s cheek and her split lip.

“I can’t believe Amon got you,” she says sadly.

Keiko places a hand on her mother’s shoulder, “I’m okay,” she assures, “it’s not the end of the world.”

A boat pulls into port and Bolin jumps off, he runs for Keiko but his smile fades when he sees the state of her, she looked paler underneath her beat-up face.

He gingerly cups her cheeks, “what happened?”

“Amon,” she whispers, horror fills his eyes, what he feared most the past few days had come to pass, if he wasn’t so upset he would’ve thought himself to be psychic.

“Keiko...”

Suddenly the dam breaks and she starts to cry, she steps forward and wraps her arms around Bolin, sobbing against his chest.

He holds her as tightly as he could without hurting her, a tear escapes his eyes.

He starts running his knuckles down her back, the way he had that one morning a week ago.

After what felt like ages the crying stopped, replaced by little hiccuping whimpers.

A foghorn blows and it startles her, Bolin steps to the side so she could see what’s happening, but he keeps his hand around her waist to keep her stable.

“Yay, Uncle Bumi's here!” Ikki claps her hands excitedly.

Bumi stands on the side of the ship, yelling, “waaaa-hoooo!”

He claps his hands happily.

Tenzin sighs, “great, now I have to entertain my brother.”

He looks over at Keiko who tries to look happy to see her uncle but just couldn’t.

It’s enough to make the lump in his throat return, to remind him of what happened, he would have to live the rest of his days knowing he failed to save his little girl from that monster.

He watches her grip Bolin’s forearms tightly, trying to smile.   


* * *

In the middle of the ocean at sunset, Noatak drives the speedboat, Tarrlok sits in the back.

Noatak is enthusiastic about starting over.

“The two of us together again, there's nothing we can't do!”

But Tarrlok looks angry and confused, “yes, Noatak.”

“Noatak. Hm,” he chuckles and smiles, “I had almost forgotten the sound of my own name.”

Tarrlok notices the electrified gloves and looks over to his brother.

He puts one on, without Noatak seeing him.

Tarrlok unscrews the lid of the fuel tank, placing the electric glove above it.

“It will be just like the good old days.”

A tear runs down Noatak’s cheek.

Tarrlok electrocutes the fuel tank.

The boat explodes.   


* * *

Southern Water Tribe.

At the White Lotus compound.

Oogie and Naga rest outside.

Inside, Pema is changing Rohan under the watchful eye of Ikki and Jinora, while Meelo is sleeping on Tenzin's lap.

Keiko sits next to Bolin, her head resting on his shoulder.

She looks down at the arrows on her hands, they looked so dull and faded.

Bolin reaches over and grabs her hand, squeezing gently.

And she lets him.

Mako and Asami are sitting on the same couch with dejected expressions on their faces.

Korra’s parents are also here, Senna is resting on Tonroq’s shoulder.

Keiko hadn’t seen Korra’s parents in several years, not since she was a child.

Lin sits beside Korra’s father, both stare sadly toward the ground in front of them.

Upon hearing the sound of a door sliding open, the three adults quickly raise their heads and turn to the door.

Katara steps out, sadness on her face.

As she ventures further into the waiting area, everyone stands and look expectantly at her.

“I've tried everything in my power, but...” she looks at the floor. her eyes to the ground, “I cannot restore Korra's bending.”

Keiko steps forward, “Gran-Gran, you're the best healer in the world, you have to keep trying!”

Katara puts her hand on Keiko’s shoulder, “I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can do. Korra can still Airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed.”

Korra exits the healing room, sadly looking at the ground.

She stops and eyes everyone that stares back at her.

“It's going to be all right Korra.”

“No, it's not.”

She’s angry and disappointed, she grabs her coat and leaves the house.

Mako wants to talk to Korra, but he hesitates at first.

He becomes determined and walks out of the house and follows Korra.

“Korra, wait.”

“Go away!”

“I will, but I just want you to know, I'm here for you.”

“No, I mean, go away, back to Republic City. Get on with your life.”

Mako stares, confused, “what are you talking about?”

Korra narrows her eyes, “I'm not the Avatar anymore. You don't need to do me any favours.” She starts walking away but Mako stops her.

“I don't care if you're the Avatar or not. Listen.”

Korra turns around so she can see him.

“When Tarrlok took you I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again, I realized...” he hesitates, “I love you, Korra.”

Mako cups her cheeks.

“I-I can't.” She says in shock.

She runs away and jumps on Naga.

“Korra!”

Tenzin steps outside and places a hand on his shoulder.

“We need to be patient with her. It will take time for her to accept what has happened.”

Korra arrives with Naga on a cliff above the sea.

A tear rolls down her face and it falls in the snow.

A man dressed in Air Nomad clothing approaches her, but only his lower half can be seen.

Korra turns away, “not now Tenzin, I just want to be left alone.”

“But you called me here.”

She’s shocked at the voice and turns to see Aang, smiling.

“Aang!”

“You have finally connected with your spiritual self.”

Korra stands, “how?”

“When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.”

All the past Avatars appear behind Aang.

Aang put his hands on Korra's forehead and shoulder and he restores her bending.

The past Avatars disappear.

Korra opens her eyes, entering the Avatar State for the first time.

She raises herself into the air and sends a blast of air, fire, and earth.

She bends the sea at the bottom of the cliff, making it crash against the rocks.

Korra eventually leaves the Avatar State and turns around, where Mako is smiling at her.

She runs and jumps into Mako’s arms.

“I love you too.”

Mako and Korra share a kiss, long overdue in their eyes.   


Keiko watches from below while Korra restores Lin’s bending.

Using the skill Aang had taught her.

When Korra has finished, Lin climbs to her feet and lifts several large rocks into the air at once.

“Thank you.”

Korra bows to Lin and holds out her hand for Keiko, who climbs the steps after her mother.

Korra pulls Keiko into a hug.

When she pulls away, Keiko kneels and breathes in.

Korra places one thumb on her forehead at the base of her arrow and one over her heart.

Keiko’s arrows glow with Korra’s eyes.

It fades as quickly as she appears.

Korra steps away and Keiko feels like herself again.

The wind picks up and Keiko sends herself up towards the sky in a sprout of air.

She lowers herself and laughs with pure joy, throwing her arms around Korra.

When they break apart she looks down the stairs and see’s Bolin smiling at her.

She doesn’t waste time going down the stairs properly, instead launching herself at him, trusting the Earthbender to catch her.

And he does.

He swings her around and they laugh.

Tenzin places his hand on Korra’s shoulder, “I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I take Keiko’s bending away only to give it back a chapter later?
> 
> ✨ Drama ✨
> 
> Part 2 is up now.


End file.
